Is former Jimena Mayor a close advisor to Fabian Picardo?

José Carracao
(Photo: europasur.es)

GIBRALTAR According to El Confidencial Digital (EDC), Former Jimena Mayor José Carracao has admitted that he is advising his fellow Socialist Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, and has been  for some time. Still according to  EDC, among Carracao's functions is advice about, and as an intermediary with, businesses in Andalucía and the political structure of Melilla and Ceuta, Carracao's home province (and where his son heads the PSOE party). However, a source very close to Picardo told us last night that this is not so, that there is no official appointment, although Carracao and the Chief Minister 'talk often'.>>>

Ronda exMayor and three Councillors charged in corruption cases

Antonio María Marín Lara (l.), arrested
(Photo: El País / Julián Rojas)

RONDA (Agencies) It took the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's officials and a host of National Policemen nine hours to search the Town Hall and Town Planning offices of Ronda Council in an operation that ended with the arrest of seven people and confiscation of what one paper calls 'abundant documentation'. Chief among the detainees is Antonio María Marín Lara, former Mayor of Ronda and present PSOE Councillor. Another three are are implicated in an alleged network of corruption that operated among the previous corporation of the Málaga town. Among the charges against them are those of perversion of the course of justice, bribery, peddling of political influence, embezzlement, forging documents and money laundering. The PSOE was in power from September 2004 until the last local elections of May 22. Among those detained are also a local lawyer and two directors of the Eroski supermarket chain. The operation, dubbed Acinipo after an archaeological site in the area,>>>

Unusual post-electoral situation in Jimena

JIMENA (EFE/Photo: TioJimeno)  Jimena de la Frontera is facing an unusual post-electoral situation. The Mayor-elect, Francisco Pineda, suffered a cerebral ictus during the campaign and has been in hospital since then, without any possibility of taking up his post. A retired Army man, this was the first time Pineda had ever stood for election, heading the PP list that won an unprecedented 7 seats on the Council, the same number as the PSOE who have been in power in the municipality since the advent of democracy in 1985. Pineda remains in his room at the Puerta del Mar Hospital in Cadiz, where his health is improving very slowly. He still needs assisted breathing and feeding but is conscious and responding to stimuli with smiles and facial expressions. His motor functions remain paralized, however. According to family sources, he was told that he had won the elections as soon as it was confirmed that he had regained consciousness - two tears rolled down his cheeks at the news. As to the political situation, there appears to be a grey area in the law.>

Talks on airport land are either 'a significant advance' or 'going nowhere'

LA LÍNEA Mayor Alejandro Sánchez (PP) held talks last week with AENA, the state airport authority on the kind of work the agency needs to carry out to see building of the Spanish side of the shared airport with Gibraltar get under way. According to a communiqué from the town hall, the talks were "a significant and substantial advance on the negotiations about the airport land." Sánchez added "the municipal government's sense of responsibility  has lead us to study and develop plans in order to attain synergy with AENA." No financial or administrative details were offered. On the other side of the political fence, mayoral candidate Gemma Araujo's party (PSOE) described the talks as 'disappointing', adding that>