The Partido Popular in Manilva has submitted an extensive dossier to the Duty Court (Juzgado de Guardia) in Estepona against the current mayor of the municipality, Mario Jiménez, his party Compromiso Manilva, and several councillors from the governing team, including those who stood in the last elections under the Con Andalucía–Izquierda Unida banner.
According to the PP, speaking through its social media accounts, the report submitted is accompanied by extensive documentation which, in the party’s view, reveals serious irregularities. The alleged acts reported include alleged offences of misappropriation of public funds and administrative malfeasance.
The spokesperson for the PP group and former mayor, José Manuel Fernández, explained that the document sets out decisions which, he states, “the mayor himself publicly acknowledged in the council meeting, admitting that he had acted arbitrarily and without any administrative file whatsoever”. According to Fernández, this practice would be incompatible with the principles of legality and transparency that should govern any public administration.
The Partido Popular also stressed that the actions reported are not isolated cases or personal decisions, but would have the backing or active knowledge of the mayor’s governing partners, that is, the current Con Andalucía–IU councillors.
The PP has warned that this legal action is only the first step in a broader process, in which further files will be prepared for the thorough scrutiny of the current municipal administration, with the aim of establishing possible political and legal responsibilities.
The complaint comes amid an already tense political climate, following the vote of no confidence a few months ago which removed José Manuel Fernández from the mayoralty and returned the mayoral baton to Mario Jiménez, with the support of the group that is also named in the complaint.
