The court that was already investigating José María García Urbano, mayor of Estepona (PP), for an alleged crime of a sexual nature committed against a Local Police agent, has opened a new line of investigation to clarify the hiring of the agent’s partner as a position of trust of the Estepona City Council. The judge wants to investigate whether there was embezzlement in this eventual hiring, which occurred for just three months, in which the Estepona City Council paid between 10,000 and 16,000 euros to the woman.
In an order issued this Wednesday, to which elDiario.es has had access in Andalusia, the judge separates this matter of an economic nature from the investigation into the alleged sexual harassment, opening another number of preliminary proceedings. The judge has asked the City Council for all the documentation of the contract with CPB and has transferred the new investigation to García Urbano so that he can appear and defend himself in the case. In practice, this means that the Estepona councilor adds a new accusation to the one that already weighed on him for the alleged sexual harassment.
The derivative for possible embezzlement has its origin in the woman’s judicial statement in the case of alleged sexual harassment. Two weeks ago, CPB confirmed before the judge the account of the events contained in the complaint made against García Urbano by the local police agent, and assured that she also participated in the sexual encounters under duress, which is why she went from witness to complainant, according to sources in the case.
In addition, she explained that she was hired by the City Council in February 2023 as trusted personnel in the External Control area, the responsibility of Councilor Blas Ruzafa. The judge already has the documentation that she has provided, the contract and the payroll that she received.
As this medium has already reported, it is an anomalous appointment, because she does not have training or experience for the tasks of that position, and because it took place for just three months, since in May 2023 all positions of trust in the city councils ceased. ex officio when the corporations are dissolved due to the call of municipal elections.
The Estepona City Council has not responded to elDiario.es Andalucía’s questions about the hiring of CPB, his functions in the City Council and the motivations that led to his untimely signing.
Between 10,000 and 16,000 euros for three months
Now, the judge wants to know the details of that contract, in case there had been an irregular use of public funds. The 12 positions of trust that the City Council has in this mandate, among which CPB is not, earn between 41,150 and 63,900 euros per year each, so it is reasonable to think that the City Council was able to pay the woman between 10,000 and 16,000 euros for the three months that he had it as a position of trust.
The case raises the suspicion that the contract was a covert remuneration to CPB, embarked on a three-way relationship with the local police officer and the councilor, who would be forcing sexual encounters under the threat of ending the career of the agent, according to the report in the complaint. The alleged existence of videos and payments adds doubts about the nature and motivations of the entire matter. The councilor assures that it is a false complaint that is due to “spurious motives.”
The judge has split off the investigation into the alleged embezzlement in order to safeguard the privacy of the Estepona councilor, accepting the appearance of the PSOE in this new case.
Although the mayor requested that the complaint for alleged sexual harassment or abuse be filed outright, the judge has continued with the investigation, which remains open, as he listened to those involved. In this procedure, both the agent who made the initial complaint (who was confirmed in it), and the woman (initially a witness, now under the status of complainant) and García Urbano himself, as an investigator, have already testified.
#judge #investigates #Estepona #embezzlement #contract #alleged #victim #sexual #harassment #mayor
