Cursach affair

First Cursach trial to start shortly

Tolo Cursach, who was arrested at the end of February this year. | Archive

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma08/11/2017 00:00

Bartolomé Cursach will not have the possibility of leaving prison before the start of the series of trials that he faces. The investigating judge, Manuel Penalva, says that requests for liberty will be denied, given that even while in prison he has been seeking to influence witnesses. This has included, according to El Ico, one of the Son Banya drugs barons, offers of up to two million euros for intimidating witnesses. As well as the risk of interference with witnesses, the judge considers Cursach to be a flight risk.

Penalva has referred to a scenario "without precedent in Spanish judicial history". This is because of the level of Cursach's manipulation and attempts at destruction of proof. Protected witnesses, including one identified as number 29 who was a one-time waiter at Tito's, have been subjected to great pressure.

With regard to the transfer of Cursach to the prison in Alicante (which the Balearic High Court has reversed), Penalva has noted that he had started to exert influence over a group of Romanian inmates at Palma prison. One witness has testified that Romanians were threatening him.

The first trial will commence shortly. This will be for illegal possession of weapons; a shotgun was found in his bedroom. The second will be for bribery, intimidation and criminal organisation and is specifically related to perks that some police officers received at Tito's nightclub in Palma.