National Police from the Specialized and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) have arrested at least seven individuals for urbanistic corruption as part of Operación Calero, which was set up to investigate alleged irregularities in urban planning.
The allegations concern an urbanization in El Calero Alto. where 78 dwellings were planned. Charges involve alleged corruption, bribery, influence peddling (string pulling to us, but at a criminal level), and document falsification, all connected with reparcelling the plot in 2005.
Five of those initially arrested are still in police custody in Las Palmas, and among those accused are businessman Félix Machín; one of his workers, Ignacio Calandria; the ex-Property Registrar in Telde/current Commercial Registrar, Adolfo Calandria (brother of the Ignacio Calandria just mentioned); lawyer Miguel Ángel Martín Zurita; architect Jesús Álvarez, who drew up Telde's Plan General, in force since 2002; the ex chief of Municipal Assets, lawyer Pedro Pablo Santana; and the ex chief of Urbanism, José Luis Mena.
During the operation, Félix Machín's offices in San Gregorio were searched yesterday, as well as those of Jesús Álvarez in Las Palmas. The latter search took over seven hours. The ex mayor, Francisco Valido, was not arrested, but was charged and appeared in court. Further arrests are expected to follow.
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Huge corruption bust in Gran Canaria 
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