Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)By Nicola Cowell
WHEN Sir Alan Sugar bought parts of the struggling Byblos Hotel in Mijas, it was described as a ‘ray of hope’ for the hotel’s future.
But now the billionaire entrepreneur is being investigated with claims that the purchase was fradulent.
Sugar’s lawyer, Luis Juega, is being accused of using privileged information to ensure that Sugar was successful in his bid to buy the hotel’s tennis club and spa for 3million euros last year.
The lawyer, from Diaz-Bastein and Truan Abogados, allegedly used underhand methods to stop a Belgian businessman from attending the auction where Sugar bought the two sections of the hotel.
The firm of lawyers are already under investigation for their part in the Sean Connery ‘Goldfinger’ case, in which the Bond star is accused of fraudulent construction charges after the sale of his Marbella villa.
Sugar’s company Amsprop, headed by his son Daniel, purchased parts of the Byblos Hotel as the sole bidder at a public auction last year, after the auction was mysteriously rearranged three times.
Not realising that the two men had the same lawyer, the Bank of Scotland revealed to the Belgian businessman that Juega had told them to withdraw a guarantee they had made with him for 8million euros.
The bank, who claimed the 144-room hotel back from hotel group Aifos after they went bankrupt, had previously arranged the finance deal with the Belgian, who has not been named for legal reasons.
Lawyer, Luis Juega, is now being investigated by Instruction Court 1 in Marbella for professional disloyalty, revealing of secrets, fraud and fraudulent administration, after a legal complaint was made by the Belgian.
