Soon-to-be Marbella police chief already under investigation

JOSE Andres Montoya is not even Marbella’s police chief yet and he is already caught up in controversy.

Montoya’s time as police chief in Velez-Malaga is under scrutiny, with accusations that he has a conflict of interest.

Outgoing mayor Francisco Bonilla, opened an investigation against Montoya after he criticised the town hall after a disagreement between the local government and the police force.

This suspected conflict of interest is not the first legal issue Montoya has tread carefully around.

In 2009, Montoya was cleared of an assault charge, where there was no evidence to prove an accusation that he had attacked his neighbour and knocked eight teeth out.

And to make matters worse the proposed second in charge is also riddled in controversy.

Despite new mayor Jose Bernal’s ‘government fundamentally based in transparency’, he is unable to stop the planned return of ex-police chief Rafael del Pozo.

After accepting bribes in the Malaya case, Pozo was suspended from work for eight years, banned from public office for two, and fined €60,000.

With the end of his sentence, Pozo has yet to officially request reinstatement, but municipal sources have revealed that he has expressed his intentions to return to the police force.