Developers lose six million libel battle

February 2, 2010 • Andalucia, Lead2, Malaga • 5 Comments

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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DEVELOPERS behind Ronda’s controversial Los Merinos golf course have lost a six-million euro libel battle.

The bosses behind the double golf course scheme took online magazine el Observador to court over a series of articles on the case over the last few years.

“The judge at Malaga’s court number four threw out the case for the second time, saying that the website had no case to answer for.”

Company JM Legion Espanola claimed that the environmental website and its owner Juan Area deliberately wrote defamatory and damaging articles about the 800-home scheme, that sits in Unesco-protected virgin woodland, near Ronda.

But the judge at Malaga’s court number four threw out the case for the second time, saying that the website had no case to answer for.

The developers had previously sued up to a dozen opponents to the scheme, including three expatriates for seven million euros each for daring to speak out against the scheme.

In a string of cases they accused the campaigners of “slander, coercion, intimidation and threats.”

One of those sued, writer Alastair Boyd, aka Lord Kilmarnock, who died last year, merely told the Olive Press that he believed that golf courses were “not sustainable”.

All of the cases have been thrown out of court or archived.

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Reader Comments »

Doug

February 3rd, 2010 12:33 am

Jon, this is good news. Any monetary judgment for the victims? Or the victims’ families (e.g. Boyd’s family). Strikes me the developers should be penalized for this ridiculous suit.

gwilym rhys-jones

February 3rd, 2010 3:25 pm

I know Juan Area and am very pleased for him.

jon clarke

February 3rd, 2010 10:53 pm

This is the third time they have attempted to sue individuals for daring to criticise or reporting on progress at Los Merinos…I agree the developers should not be allowed to ruin people´s lives and put them through huge levels of stress without any proof… and of course recourse..

we have some new revelations next week… watch this space as they say.

jon clarke
olive press editor

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February 8th, 2010 6:06 pm

[...] Developers lose six million libel battle | The Olive Press [...]

Tony

April 15th, 2010 9:47 am

The company, JM Legion Espanola, responsible for this destruction should be prosecuted with all the power available to the Junta or the State. The land should be returned to its original wild condition, new trees planted and roads completely erased, all paid for by this company.
It makes a laughing stock of the entire legal system if the company gets away with it, while demolishing pensioners so-called illegal houses.
Wake up Junta, we’re laughing at you!!

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