FREE COPY GOLF THE NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHERN SPAIN Spanish golf in improving Official market leader Audited by PGD/OJD health February 15th to 21st 2019 www.surinenglish.com Player numbers on the News 2 Health & Beauty 33 up as the Costa prepares Comment 24 Sport 52 for high season in this Lifestyle 26 My Home 45 What To Do 40 Classified 57 month’s Costa del Golf in English Food & Drink 43 Time out 62 INSIDE MAKING Landowner in Julen case WAVES ON formally under THE COSTA investigation The judge has called the Torremolinos man who drilled the 100- unveils its new metre borehole in Totalán pedestrianised as a witness town centre P20&21 The probe into the death of two-year- old Julen, who suffered a fatal fall down a borehole on 13 January, en- tered a new phase this week as the owner of the land in Totalán was de- clared under formal investigation. The man who drilled the hole, Julen’s parents and the hikers at the scene will be called in as witnesses. P3 New regional government appointments force reshuffles in local authorities which now have vacancies to fill P2 Mummified British The mayor of Torremolinos, José Ortiz, with councillors on Thursday in the town’s new Plaza Costa del Sol. :: MIGUE FERNÁNDEZ pensioner found hidden in spare room of home she shared with her daughter - a year after her death P10 Spring general election on the Urgent Alcazaba and Gibralfaro works could take months as Malaga city way as 2019 budget vote is lost hall draws up plans which will need Junta approval P6 Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected Spain was confronted with the pros- likely as relations with Catalan sepa- pect of an early general election this ratist MPs, whose support was need to announce the forthcoming date for week after the government failed in the vote, soured in recent days. to win approval from MPs for its de- Poll trackers show the ruling the national poll today, Friday layed 2019 budget on Wednesday. PSOE is the most popular party but Defeat for Prime Minister Pedro there is a majority of support for Sánchez had looked increasingly parties on the right. P23 2 February 15th to 21st 2019 NEWS SUR IN ENGLISH New faces at the Junta de Andalucía Recruits have their work cut out, force reshuffles at local authorities taking over a long list of unfinished projects The mayor of Coín, the the Contemporary Art Centre head of Planning in (CAC), leaves to become the new secretary general for Cultural Inno- Marbella and the director vation and Museums. :: A. M. ROMERO of Malaga’s CAC gallery MALAGA. The army of recruits are among appointments Art and politics summoned by the new regional His departure comes at a compli- government to control its depart- by the recently elected cated moment as the contract for ments and delegations has its regional government the management of the art centre work cut out. is up for renewal later this year. Fran- Weighing over the Junta’s head :: ANTONIO M. ROMERO cés’ firm, Gestión Cultural y Comu- are the promises the PP made be- MALAGA. Nearly a month after nicación, is one of several organisa- fore the regional election (271 in the PP’s Juanma Moreno was sworn tions whose bids are currently be- the case of the province of Malaga) in as the new president of the Junta ing examined by experts at the city as well as its previous criticism of de Andalucía, his coalition govern- hall. the progress and direction of pro- ment has now completed its recruit- His place at the helm of Gestión jects already started by the PSOE ment process and the apparatus is Fernando Fernández (c) on his last day as mayor of Coín. :: SUR Cultural will be taken by Helena government. ready to start moving. Juncosa, who has worked alongside In the city of Malaga these in- The Partido Popular and their Francés at the CAC since it opened clude the completion of the metro partners Ciudadanos (Cs) who, with in 2003. Francés said on Wednesday lines. Juanma Moreno has already the support of far-right group Vox, that he had previously been critical announced the scrapping of the managed to oust the Socialist PSOE of the Junta’s management of cul- controversial existing plans to run from the Junta after nearly four dec- ture and museums and this was his an overground service as far as the ades, distributed the regional min- chance to improve things. Hospital Civil to instead concen- istries among eleven new ministers trate on extending the line to the at the end of January. Since then Marbella planning PTA (technology park). they have been recruiting their pro- In Marbella the town has lost an im- Building a new hospital and an vincial delegates as well as other of- portant player in its ongoing process auditorium, and a solution for the ficials whose posts rotate with the to “normalise” its town planning Guadalmedina river are also on government, among them director Fernando Francés. :: F. SILVA Mercedes García Paine. :: SUR situation after the years of chaos and the regional “to do” list for the city. generals of the authority’s numer- corruption when the town hall was On the western Costa del Sol, ous departments. in the hands of the GIL group. José the Junta’s homework includes The new ministers have plucked up his post. He will be replaced by María Morente, until now the coun- the extension and improvement their recruits from inside and out- Francisco Santos until the elections. cil’s director of Town Planning, goes of the Bajadilla port in Marbella, side politics, causing a domino ef- “Being mayor of Coín is the best on to do the same job for the Plan- Fuengirola port and Puerto Ma- fect in some local authorities and thing to have happened to me in my ning Department at the Junta. rina in Benalmádena; new law institutions who now have to fill political career,” said Fernández. Brought in after the PP won back con- courts for Torremolinos and Mar- their vacancies. Malaga city hall has lost two coun- trol in Marbella in 2017, the architect bella; the extension of the Costa cillors: Carmen Casero (PP) is the new has overseen the approval of the modi- del Sol hospital; and the regulari- Mayor’s farewell delegate in Malaga for Public Works, fied version of the 1986 town mas- sation of rural properties in Mi- The town of Coín, for example, has José María Morente. :: J-L Culture and Historical Heritage; and terplan as well as its adaptation to jas, among other projects. lost its mayor, after Fernando Raúl Jiménez will run the Farming Andalusian law and the drawing up Road improvements in the Ser- Fernández (PP) was named this and Fisheries Management Agency. of the conditions for the contract for ranía de Ronda, Antequera’s dry week as the new delegate of the re- Mijas council has also found it- the new PGOU. dock project, the opening of op- gional ministry of Agriculture, Live- self with a gap to fill after Nuria Ro- The Malaga delegation of the re- erating theatres and wards in the stock farming, Fisheries and Sus- dríguez, until now a Ciudadanos gional ministry for Education, Sport Guadalhorce hospital and a pipe- tainable Development for the prov- councillor, has been named the new and Social Policy is now in the hands line to connect the Concepción ince of Malaga. provincial delegate for Tourism, Jus- of social activist Mercedes García reservoir in Marbella with La At an urgent meeting in the town tice and Local Administration. Paine, founder of the association Viñuela in the Axarquía, are just hall on Wednesday, Fernández, who The cultural scene in Malaga has Nena Paine, which works with a few more of the tasks already had already ruled out standing for also seen an upheaval as Fernando young people at risk of social or aca- on the desks waiting for the new election again in May, officially gave Nuria Rodríguez. :: SUR Francés, until now the director of demic exclusion. regional government officials. February 15th to 21st 2019 NEWS 3 SUR IN ENGLISH Junta reports Landowner to be questioned on suspicion of increase in negligent manslaughter in Julen investigation applications to legalise wells after The judge in charge of Julen tragedy the case of the toddler who died in Totalán has :: JESÚS HINOJOSA called the man who MALAGA. The Junta’s Environ- drilled the hole to be ment Department offices in Malaga have reported dozens of questioned as a witness landowners applying to legalise wells and boreholes or requesting :: ÁLVARO FRÍAS / JUAN information about how to fill in CANO / FERNANDO TORRES and seal holes that are no longer MALAGA. The investigation into in use. the death of two-year-old Julen, The increase comes as a result who fell down a borehole in To- of the recent Totalán case in which talán on 13 January, has reached a the toddler Julen died when he new phase this week. The judge in fell into a borehole. charge of the probe, after stating The Junta’s acting Environment that she considered there to be evi- delegate in the province of Malaga, dence of manslaughter because of Adolfo Moreno, said: “There has negligence, has announced a round been a notable increase; people are of questioning. showing a clear interest in legal- The owner of the land where the ising this type of borehole [carried toddler fell, David Serrano, has David Serrano, the owner of the land, at a press conference last week.