The Prosecutors Office began investigating the biggest municipal corruption case to date in 1999.

Caso Saqueo has beaten all records in Spain for corruption trials. Below is a chronological résumé of the key points in the case.

Alarm bells 1999

The case came to the attention of the country’s media in October 1999. The Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office was investigating the embezzlement of 4,442 milloion pesetas - 26.7 million euros – from the Marbella Town Hall through the municipal company Contratas 2000, headed by José Luis Jiménez, the right-hand man of the then mayor of the town, Jesús Gil. They discovered what the Spaniards call a B Box, a secret fund, where money deriving from false bills was channelled into ghost companies. The investigation later revealed that 36 million euros was missing from municipal funds, and two more municipal companies were involved in the embezzlement. These were Planeamiento 2000, with Roca heading it, and Jardines 2000, run by Jiménez. Jesús Gil blamed the man who had been his lawyer for the previous 20 years, José Luis Sierra.

Gil in prison again 2002

The Public Prosecutor’s Office charged Jesús Gil, Juan Antonio Roca and José Luis Jiménez in 2001, later adding more names to the list of accused, these being Javier Herrera and Eduardo Gonzálvez, employees of Planeamientos 2000 and Contratas 2000; Purificación N (Jiménez’s wife); José Luis Sierra and Manuel Jorge Castel, considered to be the accountant for the group. The Central Criminal Court judge Guillermo Ruiz de Polanco initiated the investigation by ordering a search of the Marbella Town Hall. Gil then changed his story, claiming to have taken the money to prevent seizure orders against the Town Hall. He and Roca were sent to prison in April 2002 by judge Juan del Olmo, but were released on bail of 700,000 euros for Gil and 450,000 for Roca.

Train bomb halt 2004

The case ground to a halt following the investigation into the Madrid train bombings in 2004. Meanwhile two of the accused, Jesús Gil and José Luis Jiménez, died in March 2004 and June 2005, respectively .

Ten years demanded 2005

The Central Criminal Court ends its investigation. The Public Prosecutor’s Office demands ten years in prison for the six accused, for the “misappropriation of public funds and continued falsification of commercial documents,” or embezzlement in our language. It also demands repayment of the money embezzled.

Bail of three million 2008

Judge Del Olmo replaced Judge Pablo Ruz in the case and ordered Juan Antonio Roca to prison or bail of three million euros. The former planning officer appeared unable to raise the money and was sent to Soto del Real prison, after having spent two years behind bars in Albolote prison in Granada for crimes relating to the Malaya Case. The Saqueo trial was held between October 10th and November 27th 2008.

Verdict given 2009

The court's verdict was announced on Friday January 23rd. Roca was given six years and ten months and Sierra and Castel nine years each. Charges were dropped against Gonzálvez, Herrera and Notario.