Free for nine days, Roca returns to jail

April 24, 2008  •  Andalucia  •  0 Comments

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Bail of three million euros as former town planning chief is charged with embezzlement

JUAN ANTONIO ROCA, the alleged mastermind behind the ring of corruption at Marbella town hall, has been ordered back to prison.

Nine days after his lawyers paid one million euros to secure his release, the former head of town planning at the resort town has been jailed in Madrid.

But this time, Roca can walk free if he can pay bail of three million euros.

The charges relate to the 2001 Saqueo investigation to locate a missing 35 million euros from Marbella council funds.

Police believe Roca, in his position at the town hall, syphoned the money by issuing false invoices to his own companies.

The former chauffeur turned multi-millionaire was freed from Albolote prison in Granada on April 14 after spending two years on remand.

This was after his arrest on charges of bribery, money laundering and fraud during the Malaya investigation in 2006, which has seen almost 100 people implicated.

During his time at Marbella town hall, it is claimed Roca demanded money in exchange for building licences.

After his arrest, police confiscated 200 million euros, original works of art, a helicopter and a stud farm.

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