FEARS of foul play are mounting in Estepona after the mayor’s son’s girlfriend swooped in to run a restaurant in a publicly owned building.
Prosecutors have now asked Estepona’s Court number 4 to question the woman over how she landed the license for a restaurant in the Mirador Tower, one of the town’s most high-profile developments.
The woman at the center of the storm runs the company that secured the concession as its sole administrator and partner.
The probe was sparked after residents voiced concerns that the lucrative concession was handed out not on merit, but because of personal connections.
According to the report from the public prosecutor’s office, seen by news agency EFE, prosecutors want her to testify on the same day as others already under investigation, including Estepona mayor Jose Maria Garcia Urbano.
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A court hearing that was scheduled for January did not go through.
Investigators are examining possible crimes of administrative malfeasance and influence peddling.
Prosecutors say officials may have ignored requirements set out in existing regulations when they authorised the restaurant.
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The company linked to the mayor’s family competed against just one other bidder.
Prosecutors have also asked the Policia Nacional unit handling the case to resubmit digital evidence after confirming that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office does not hold copies of the material.
Estepona City Council has previously rejected the allegations, insisting the bidding process was legal and transparent and stating there is ‘absolute peace of mind’ among municipal officials.
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The others meant to testify include the mayor, president of the board, municipal secretary, auditor of the city council and two municipal technicians.
Summoned back in 2023, the truth is set to be revealed with Estepona officials insisting that ‘there is absolute peace of mind on the part of the mayor, the Corporation, and the municipal officials.’
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