The former mayor of Yaiza, José Francisco Reyes, has a new charge behind him, which this Tuesday led him to testify again in the Arrecife Courts. Reyes now had to answer for the licenses he granted to who was his party colleague and current councilor of the PNL in Arrecife, Pedro de Armas, but this time he appeared without a lawyer.
Apparently, the former mayor allegedly stated that he "has no money" to hire a lawyer, so he had to be assigned a public defender to take his statement. A fact that contrasts with what has happened so far, in the long list of judicial proceedings that José Francisco Reyes has faced. In addition to repeatedly having the services of the office of Felipe Fernández Camero and his daughter, Juana Fernández de las Heras, the former mayor [even signed one of the lawyers of the Malaya case->32974] for his defense in the main case against him, the "Yate" case, for the massive granting of illegal licenses in Playa Blanca.
In the new case for which he had to testify this Tuesday, Reyes is charged along with the secretary of the City Council, Vicente Bartolomé Fuentes, and the head of the Technical Office, Antonio Lorenzo. Both have also gone to the Courts this Tuesday to testify, and both are charged in other judicial proceedings along with the former mayor.
In the case of Vicente Bartolomé Fuentes, in addition to the pending cases, he already has two convictions behind him for continued crimes of urban prevarication, although the sentences are not yet final and are pending appeal.
Licenses in an extinct plan
In this new case, investigated by the Environmental Prosecutor's Office and in the hands of the Investigating Court Number 5 of Arrecife, responsible for the "Unión" case, "a crime against land management is being investigated, for the granting of two licenses to Pedro de Armas.
One of them was granted in 2005, when Pedro de Armas, through the company Marivista, [received licenses from the Yaiza City Council to build ten homes in the Playa Blanca Partial Plan->11967]. The Cabildo had warned that this plan was extinct and, therefore, its construction could not be authorized, as later ratified by the courts of Justice.
However, José Francisco Reyes signed the license authorizing the construction of these homes on November 14, 2005 and, only eight days later, authorized the start of earthmoving in the area.
Shortly after obtaining the municipal permits, the family company of Pedro De Armas, Marivista S.L., sold the land, already with the licenses granted by the former mayor of Yaiza, to the company "Villas Blancas Lanzarote S.L."
Reyes hid the licenses from the Cabildo
In addition, the Yaiza City Council hid these licenses from the Cabildo, thus preventing it from appealing them. This was a common practice of the government of José Francisco Reyes for years, until Justice forced him to report to the first Island Institution the licenses he granted. However, and although he then began to notify them, [the Consistory continued to resist delivering those granted to Pedro de Armas->12172].
Finally, in 2008, and when the works were already well advanced, [the Contentious-Administrative Court Number 5 of Las Palmas issued an order suspending these licenses->19292]. In addition, the Court ordered the registration of the appeal in the Land Registry, to warn potential buyers of the lawsuit that was open and prevent them from acquiring these homes without knowing their legal situation.
Pedro de Armas, who is currently a councilor in the opposition in the Arrecife City Council, has held various positions of relevance in the last two decades, some of them directly related to Urban Planning. In fact, he has been a councilor of this area in the Arrecife City Council. In addition, in 2001 he was appointed CEO of Gesplan, the public company of the Government of the Canary Islands dedicated to the Management and Territorial and Environmental Planning of the islands.
RELATED NEWS
[Reyes transferred money from the Yaiza City Council to a PNL account between 2004 and 2007 to "obtain funds for the party"->74785]
[The Prosecutor's Office investigates the licenses that Reyes granted to Pedro de Armas to build ten chalets in the Playa Blanca Partial Plan->72183]
[Reyes hides two licenses granted to Pedro de Armas in Playa Blanca->11967]
[Reyes still does not deliver to the Cabildo the licenses he granted to Pedro de Armas for 10 chalets->12172]
[The Court suspends the licenses that Reyes granted to Pedro de Armas to build 10 chalets in Playa Blanca->19292]
[LICENSES GRANTED, CABILDO RESOLUTION AND PROJECT DATA->11985]
