By m.p. - Jan 20, 2011 - 5:25 PM

The singer Isabel Pantoja and Julián Muñoz's ex wife are both charged with laundering money for the ex Mayor Isabel Pantoja and Julián Muñoz - EFE archive

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_28812.shtml

The money laundering trial against the former Mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz, and his two exes, Maite Zaldívar and Isabel Pantoja, is to take place this year, Europa Press has revealed.

The proceedings are now with Section Two of the provincial court in Málaga and it’s understood that all that will remain, once the proceedings have been studied, and decisions made on whether to accept evidence presented by those implicated, is to set a date.

The case arose from the Malaya corruption investigation in Marbella and charges both the singer, Isabel Pantoja, and Muñoz’s ex wife with laundering money for the former Mayor. Both women face three and a half years in prison, while Muñoz could spend 7 and a half years behind bars.

An additional 7 suspects face charges in the case.

The prosecutor alleges that, during the time Muñoz was at the Town Hall, he diverted an estimated 3.5 million €, and used first his wife, his daughters and his brother in law to launder the money, and then Isabel Pantoja. He claims that both women were fully aware of the ‘illicit origin’ of the money.

Pantoja’s defence presented a report into her accounts earlier this week, claiming that she earned sufficient income herself to have no need to launder money for Muñoz. Her earnings are put at 19 million € over a period of 10 years.