Bribes inspector faces jail

By Wendy Williams

HIS job was to put a stop to the rampant illegal construction that has taken place around Andalucia over the last few years.

But, a Cartama town hall property inspector is now facing a nine year prison sentence for soliciting bribes to do the exact opposite and saving owners´ illegal homes.

In total, he is alleged to have solicited at least 11 bribes totalling more than 123,000 euros in exchange for ‘fixing’ or burying infractions.

The technician, who is facing trial in October, allegedly took the amounts between 2004 and 2005.

According to the oublic prosecutor, the accused received the solicited payments in only a couple of cases.

But in one instance, he was aided by a foreign resident who served as an interpreter when he sought an 18,000 euro bribe from a foreign property owner facing a halt-work order.

In other cases he took bribes of 15,000 and 5000 euros in return for cancelling fines.

The alleged interpreter faces a one-year prison sentence for being an accomplice.

The inspector was eventually found out when an unsatisfied property owner who had paid him 7,000 euros, reported him to the town hall.

When the man was confronted by municipal officials, he quit his job as inspector.