Benahavís mayor gives court evidence as formal suspect in Marbella Club equestrian centre probe

The magistrate heading Section 1 of the Marbella Preliminary Investigation Court took Mena's statement on Thursday 24 September. The judicial proceedings follow a formal request lodged in March by the Marbella Area Public Prosecutor's Office, which called for the mayor to be investigated for alleged offences of perverting the course of justice (prevaricación) and embezzlement (malversación).

At the centre of the judicial inquiry is a 36,000-square-metre plot of municipally owned land in the Caserías del Esperonal area. According to a complaint filed by the opposition socialist party (PSOE), the iconic luxury hotel has been using and commercially exploiting the public property for more than 20 years without paying any financial compensation to the town council, and without any valid contract, administrative concession, or enabling licence.

Thursday's court session marked significant progress in the case. Alongside Mayor Mena, the magistrate interviewed the president of Marbella Club Hotel SA, as well as three senior Benahavís town hall officials: the council secretary, the auditor, and the treasurer.

The head of town planning and the chief legal officer for urban development were also scheduled to testify, but their appearances were postponed and will be rescheduled. Luis Feito, local councillor and spokesperson for the PSOE in Benahavís, appeared as a witness to formally ratify the original complaint.

Mayor Mena declined to comment following his interrogation in court. However, the opposition PSOE maintains that official records leave no room for doubt, pointing out that both the Land Registry and the Property Register confirm sole municipal ownership of the 3.6-hectare site.

The socialists emphasised that the mayor explicitly acknowledged the lack of an administrative concession during previous council plenary sessions, yet municipal authorities have taken no administrative steps to recover the land or claim outstanding revenue.

On its official website, the Marbella Club advertises the facility as a venue where visitors can "breathe equestrian luxury," offering commercial horse hire, guided rides, private stabling, and elite competition training. The complex features 36 large stables built with Victorian gables, 13-square-metre stalls, and a 4,500-square-metre arena billed as "the most modern in Europe."