Operación Malaya, la gran telenovela.

This scandal has been better covered in the press online, for example Sur in English (also here) and on other blogs, e.g.: Euroresidentes and Expatica.

The latest twist to the tale I just picked up on the Yahoo newswire from Europa Press (in Spanish).

Málaga.- Police travel to Málaga to examine the animals seized in
operation 'Malaya'.

MÁLAGA, 19 (EUROPA PRESS)

National police from the cavalry section have travelled to Málaga to examine
the animals seized at a finca close to Marbella as part of operation 'Malaya'. The team comprises two inpectors from the cavalry and a vet from the national police. Once examined a request will be made to the investigating judge in Marbella for the horses to be delivered to the police stables, for their later use by the various cavalry units. 103 animals have been seized, 41 male, 54 female and eight young foals according to the police report.

LATEST ARREST
As part of operation 'Malaya' J.B.B.G. was arrested. He is considered to be one of the testaferros (front men) working for the building adviser to Marbella council, and presumed brains of the corruption scandal, Juan Antonio Roca. The arrested man ran two of the principal front companies for Roca, operating in Murcia and comprised of various real estate agencies. JBBG was released yesterday without bail but charged with money laundering. he will later make a declaration before the instructing judge according to sources close to the case. The detained man, aged 29 and from Madrid (though it appears he lives in Málaga province) turned himself in yesterday once he knew the police were looking for him, the same sources confirmed to Europa Press. The sources also confirmed that he made a statement [to the police] about his management of one of the front companies that he supposedly ran for Roca.

This brings the total arrests in the anti-corruption operation to 26. Of these 12 are remanded in prison while the rest are on bail. Those in jail are: the mayor of Marbella, Marisol Yagüe; the deputy mayor, Isabel García Marcos; the buildings department chief, Juan Antonio Roca; traffic and transport counsellor, Victoriano Rodríguez; businessmen Ismael Pérez Peña and Oscar Benavente Pérez; another presumed testaferro Montserrat Corulla; four lawyers from the office of Sánchez Zubizarreta & Soriano, in Madrid, and the industrialist Ll.
On bail are: the Marbella counsellor for culture, José Jaén, freed on 30.000 euros bail by judge Miguel Angel Torres; also the businessmen José Luis Alonso Boyer and
Julio de Marco, on bail of 20.000 and 12.000 euros, respectively. Others bailed are legal adviser Francisco S.Z., on 90,000 euros bail; 30.000 euros for Miguel P.C. and 20.000 euros for the Marbella police chief, Rafael del Pozo [on charges of perjury and possessing illegal firearms, who is also alleged by the press to have been having an affair with Sra Yagüe.
Charged, but freed without bail being set are: businessman Juan Miguel Saavedra (charged with being an accomplice and influence peddling) and council secretary Leopoldo Barrantes [charges not specified].
Similarly judge Torres freed on bail (charged with money laundering) the presumed testaferros Jaime Hachuel, José Luis Benavente Pérez, Salvador Gardoqui, María Ursula Q.L. and Ernesto Ramón Celdrán.

Assets seized in the operation so far amount to 2,400,000,000 euros (yes, 2.4 billion). Marbella council is crippled by debt, owing 14,000,000 euros in unpaid social security payments for their employees alone. Last month, rubbish collection in Marbella was temporarily suspended when Casares council who own the waste processing plant refused waste from Marbella pending payment of 800,000 euros for waste disposal charges. The waste plant was built in Casares in the early 90's when Casares was run by the GIL party, founded by Jesus Gil y Gil, former mayor of Marbella.

Julian Muñoz, who succeeded Gil y Gil (also from the GIL party) was ousted by Marisol Yagüe. Muñoz was convicted of corruption. He was sentenced to six months prison and banned from public office for eight years.

Pedro Tirado, former mayor of Manilva (GIL party again) is on bail, also charged with corruption relating to the 'ballena blanca' (white whale) money laundering operation. It is likely that his arrest and evidence gained from his office led to operation 'Malaya'.