Former Santa Cruz mayor enters prison to start his seven year sentence for planning irregularities and corruption in construction of the Las Teresitas mamotreto

Updated 1 April 2019: It’s not just the mamotreto itself that’s demolished. As of tonight, three of those condemned for corruption in its construction, including former Santa Cruz mayor Miguel Zerolo, are tonight in Tenerife II prison. Zerolo himself is now starting his seven year sentence, and with him are former Planning councillor Manuel Parejo, also serving seven years, and businessman Antonio Plasencia, serving five. Three others are expected to enter prison shortly.

Updated 18 September 2017: The legal appeals by Santa Cruz politicians against jail sentences might be ongoing but the actual building itself is coming down. Finally, and thanks primarily to the efforts of the pressure group Plataforma por el derribo del mamotreto y contra la corrupción, work has started today to demolish the rough construction that was supposed to be a multi-storey car park serving Las Teresitas beach.

It has variously been called an eyesore, a white elephant, and a useless great lump – a mamotreto – and those were the polite names. Worse, it has introduced stress, unsightliness and frustration into the life of residents of San Andres. At last the controversial monstrosity that the Courts have ruled was put up illegally and corruptly in 2008, and at enormous public expense – around €10m – is going down. Perhaps that will end up being the fate of the politicians behind it too.

Source; Janet Anscombe: https://www.janetanscombe.com/news/first-prison-sentence-ever-in-the-canaries-for-planning-irregularities-given-in-santa-cruz.html