Former Balearic planning chief sentenced to five years in jail

PALMA
JUST 48 hours after the conservative Partido Popular Mayor of Llucmajor, Lluc Tomas, was sentenced to three years in jail and banned from holding public office for a further eight after the Balearic High Court found him guilty of misappropriating public funds, the opposition party was yesterday dealt another serious blow when its former government Director General of Planning, Jaume Massot, was sentenced to five years in jail for his role in the Andratx urban corruption scandal.

The disgraced mayor of Andratx, Eugenio Hidalgo, was banned from holding public office for seven years after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Massot was found guilty of dishonesty and perverting planning laws as the case of a restaurant built by the ex-mayor's brother, Juan Carlos Hidalgo, on protected land, reached its conclusion.

Juan Carlos was found guilty of falsifying official documents and perverting planning laws.