Carlos Cervantes Zamora, ex socialist mayor of Mojacar, lost the case brought against him in 2004 for slandering the environmental group Salvemos Mojacar. The legal proceedings were started by the group after Carlos Cervantes referred to members of the association as manipulators and shameless and 'canalla', which could be roughly translated as riff-raff, in press meetings and interviews with the local media. The comments were widely published in a provincial Spanish language newspaper at a time when the ecologists had just founded the group and the negative image diffused by the media could have seriously prejudiced the association.
This is the second time the ex-mayor has been condemned for the same case. The first hearing was held in 2006 and Carlos Cervantes was condemned in his absence as he did not attend the trail. The sentence was later ruled invalid due to the accused not having been informed of the hearing date correctly. The case was next heard in June 2007 but the hearing was annulled due to the judge being the same as in the first trial. The trial was heard a third time in the provincial court in Almeria in February this year, again the accused did not attend but his lawyer did, and no denial was made of the accusations, the lawyer instead tried to argue their justification without success.
Salvemos Mojacar asked for 30,000 euros damages and that Carlos Cervantes be fined 8,000 euros. In the judge's sentence the environmental group were awarded 2,000 euros damages and the defendant was ordered to pay a fine of 1,000 euros and condemned to costs. Salvemos Mojacar has stated that it will use the money awarded to it towards the costs of the court cases they are currently fighting against Playa Macenas in Mojacar, Mundo Aguilon in Pulpi and the PORN(Plan de Ordenacion de Recursos Naturales – natural resource plan) in the Cabo de Gata natural park.
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