By Richard Torné
A former mayor of Zurgena has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of planning crimes, including document forgery and perverting the course of justice.
Cándido Trabalón, who no longer serves at the council, went on trial at the Audiencia Provincial court in Almería city accused of granting some 1,500 illegal building licences – mostly to Britons -between 2003 and 2007 while serving as mayor for the now defunct Partido Andalucista party (PA).
In the 130-page sentence which CA News has had access to, it emerged that Trabalón, 51, granted the licences despite knowing they were invalid as the homes were built on non-urban land.
