25.07.08 - 14:19 -
Juan Antonio Roca (l), during the hearing in Granada. (De Urquía is on the right in the background with his lawyer.) EFE / Juan Ferreras
Against his lawyers' advice, former Marbella Town Hall planning consultant and alleged ringleader of the corruption, Juan Antonio Roca, changed his tactics during a Malaya offshoot case being heard in Granada and said that he had decided to tell it how it happened after "serious and deep reflection."
The case heard in the Andalucía High Court in Granada this week surrounded money for judicial favours and Roca, De Urquía and Arnaud F.A. were accused of bribery among other crimes. On Tuesday Roca admitted that he had paid suspended Marbella judge Francisco Javier de Urquía 73,800 euros to help him buy a house in 2006. De Urquía denied that this money would be in return for judicial favours and testified that the accusation was "absolutely false" and that Roca's declaration must have been down to "a deal for favours in other instances." French business owner Arnaud F.A., who also denied all charges, is accused of having facilitated the payment between the two men.
The prosecutor was asking for sentences of fines, suspension from administrative positions and prison sentences of three years for all three. However on Wednesday, after Roca's admission, the prosecutor lowered his prison sentence to one year. But that was not to be for the other two who are considered to have "expressly asked for help" from the ex planning consultant.
Sentencing will occur as a result of the tribunal to be heard between August 1st and 14th but Roca's prison sentence cannot now be more than a year but as he himself said: "I imagine that telling the truth will do me more damage than good but I'm going to do it, even if my lawyers don't agree."
Let's see if Roca's change of heart is serious as the 'Belmonsa case' is heard today.
