Illegal house swoop

Montroy ex-mayor arrested for alleged corruption and town planning irregularities

News Staff Reporter
THE omnipresent ghost of illegal building is looming once again, this time over the small Valencian town of Montroy (La Ribera Alta).

Ex-mayor Francisco Javier Carrión (PP) was arrested on Wednesday on charges of corruption and town planning irregularities with regards to between 77 and 83 houses built on rustic land classed as unsuitable for construction in Els Mallars urbanisation.

The vast majority of these properties are owned by British and German residents.

Sr Carrión is accused of granting illegal building permits for the villas in exchange for his own company, Carri-Electric, to obtain the contracts for the electricity installations in the new homes.

Local estate agency Zodiac Village was then responsible for the promotion and sale of the houses to foreign buyers.

In addition to the former council leader, a further six people have also been arrested in connection with the probe, including a notary and a number of businesspeople.

Many buyers purchased the homes on protected land for an average 200,000 euros without signing property deeds, and in some cases even accepted titles for constructions affected by impound orders.

The owners moved in to their new homes with temporary electricity supplies, water provided by a private company and with no legal deeds over their property.

Read more in this weeks Costa Blanca News edition