Marbella City Council to Hire Legal and Investigation Team
The Marbella City Council plans to hire a team of lawyers and private investigators to trace the assets of those convicted by the Court of Auditors in reimbursement procedures. The aim is to recover money for the municipal coffers, with over 143 million euros currently outstanding. The fight against corruption from the Gil era in Marbella still has many unresolved issues, primarily the recovery of money in processes that already have firm court rulings.
Outsourcing Legal Services and Private Investigators
The City Council is taking a new step by deciding to outsource a legal service, which includes the presence of private investigators. The goal is to trace the assets of those convicted in reimbursement procedures and contribute to the execution of the sentences and the return of the money to the municipal coffers.
Marbella City Council Owes Over 143 Million Euros
According to information accessed by Marbella24horas, the Marbella City Council owes more than 143 million euros, as well as interest and costs. This amount corresponds to 29 firm rulings for accounting responsibility from the Court of Auditors. A document signed by the head of the Legal Advice acknowledges that the City Council “has tried to promote the execution of these sentences in various ways, but the achievement is rather meager.”
Challenges in Asset Tracing
The “main obstacle” pointed out is the asset investigation of those who have been declared accounting responsible and the difficulty in finding assets and rights to enforce that responsibility. In response to this situation, one of the options that the government team is going to take is to hire “private investigation professionals” experts in asset tracing.
Incorporating Lawyers Specialized in Accounting Jurisdiction
Lawyers specialized in accounting jurisdiction will also be incorporated, especially in the execution of sentences. The report also explains that currently the City Council’s intervention in procedures before the Court of Auditors or the Chamber of Accounts of Andalusia is “rather scarce”. This is the reality, beyond the propaganda deployed by the mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, who always assures that she does everything possible to recover the money that left the municipal coffers.
Contract Tender for Two Years
This deficit is now intended to be corrected with the tendering of a contract for two years, with the possibility of extending it for three more, with a total budget of 450,000 euros for the five years. The successful bidder must include the service of “asset investigation of individuals and entities indebted to the City Council by firm sentence of the Court, in order to enable the execution of the rulings and make effective the collection of accounting responsibilities, interest and costs in favor of the City Council”. Companies wishing to enter the competition can do so until May 9.
