ESTEPONA’S beleaguered mayor is facing calls to suffer the same fate as that of his counterpart in Algeciras.
The PSOE has compared the situation of Jose Garcia Urbano (PP) to the political crisis surrounding the mayor down the road in Algeciras.
The Malaga PSOE general secretary has urged Junta president Juanma Moreno (PP) to take action against Urbano in light of the various scandals and court cases that are engulfing him.
The demand comes after the PP’s decision to demand Jose Ignacio Landaluce – their own mayor in Algeciras – resign after two new allegations of sexual misconduct by female party members emerged.
Josele Aguilar, secretary general of the PSOE in Málaga province, called on Moreno to intervene and end Urbano’s time in office as mayor of Estepona.
Aguilar said the PP should apply the same standard in Estepona, accusing the party of tolerating unacceptable behaviour by elected officials.
The allegations against Landaluce are separate from the criminal cases involving Urbano.
Urbano, who has led the Costa del Sol town since 2011, faces a criminal case over the hiring of a woman at the town hall in February and March 2023.
Prosecutors say that the woman, with whom he enjoyed an ‘intimate’ personal relationship, received public money without carrying out the work for which she was employed.
The case concerns alleged embezzlement of public funds and administrative misconduct. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The PSOE has called for political action against the mayor, arguing that the case raises serious questions about the use of public money and accountability in local government.
However, sources at Estepona Town Hall rejected the latest criticism, accusing the Socialists of using the issue to attack Urbano.
They also stressed that the mayor does not face any sexual harassment proceedings, adding that a previous complaint against him had been definitively dismissed by the courts.
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The town hall said it was awaiting judicial decisions on other complaints and allegations made against the mayor in recent years, which it described as politically motivated.
The latest exchange adds to the political pressure surrounding Urbano, whose administration has faced more controversy over several alleged irregularities.
The mayor denies wrongdoing and has maintained that the accusations form part of a political campaign against him.
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