The Investigating Court number 1 of Torrox has opened an investigation against the mayor of Frigiliana, Alejandro Herrero, and six others, including five councillors from his government, for alleged crimes of prevarication, embezzlement and organised crime.
The Civil Guard searched the Town Hall of Frigiliana for more than thirteen hours last Tuesday as part of a judicial investigation that implicates the mayor and the leadership of his government team. The Investigating Court number 1 of Torrox has lifted the secrecy of the case after agents seized documentation in four simultaneous searches in the Axarquía locality.
According to sources from the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia, the crimes under investigation include administrative prevarication, embezzlement of public funds, fraud in public procurement, organised crime and influence peddling. The Civil Guard also adds documentary falsification and coercion. The mayor, Alejandro Herrero, from the PSOE, is the main suspect, although the specific charges against each of the seven investigated have not yet been clarified.
Searches lasting over thirteen hours
The agents began the searches early on Tuesday morning and did not conclude until after half past ten at night. During that time, municipal offices and other facilities linked to the Town Hall were reviewed. The mayor stated upon leaving that the agents were "collecting data, invoices and documentation" and that he himself spent the day "making photocopies" to assist the investigators.
"We have been making photocopies all day," declared Alejandro Herrero to reporters as he left the Town Hall.
The investigators took materials in various formats, including paper documents and electronic media. They will now analyse whether there is any evidence of crime in the procurement and management of public funds in the municipality, which has just over 3,000 registered inhabitants.
No arrests but judicial summonses
Despite the scale of the operation, no arrests have been made. The seven investigated — the mayor, five councillors from his team and a seventh person — will be summoned to testify before the Torrox court in the coming weeks. The case is in the investigation phase and the secrecy of the case has already been lifted, allowing the parties involved to access the proceedings carried out.
The news has caused shock in Frigiliana, a white village in the Axarquía region of Málaga known for its tourism and natural surroundings. Residents are closely following the progress of an investigation that could affect the municipal management of recent years. The Town Hall has not issued any official statement since the searches became known, and the mayor has avoided making further comments.
Background and judicial context
This is not the first time a mayor from the Axarquía region has faced an investigation for corruption. In recent years, several town halls in the area have been the subject of judicial inquiries related to public procurement and urban planning. In this case, the Torrox court has taken over the investigation and it is expected that the facts will be clarified in the coming months.
For now, the government team of Frigiliana continues to lead the Town Hall, although the judicial situation of its members could generate political tensions. The provincial PSOE has not commented on the case, awaiting the progress of the investigations. Meanwhile, the residents of Frigiliana watch with concern as the shadow of corruption reaches their municipality.
You may also like
