Former James Bond actor Sean Connery, now aged 80, and his wife Micheline Roquebrune are scheduled to appear in court in Marbella today on corruption charges.
The charges relate to Connery's 1998 sale of a mansion in the Costa del Sol for a reported Ä6.4m (£5.6m).
Following the sale of the property, developers constructed a four-story 72-unit luxury apartment building on the site.
The municipal government in Marbella claims planning permission was "restricted to five family homes". They also say the owners of the land made a tidy Ä53m profit on the development and therefore owe Ä2.7m in unpaid taxes.
They've dubbed the investigation into the development Operation Goldfinger, in honour of the 1964 Bond classic in which Connery starred.
Nearly 30 people have been indicted in the case so far, including former Marbella mayor Juli·n MuÒoz, Spanish singer Isabel Pantoja and the former Marbella town planning adviser, Juan Antonio Roca. Another former mayor of Marbella, Jes˙s Gil y Gil, who is now deceased and well-known among football fans as the former owner of La Liga club AtlÈtico Madrid, has also been implicated.
The investigation has received significant coverage in Spain, partly as a result of a letter sent by the British ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman, to the presiding judge Ricardo Puyol last month. In the letter, Paxman said neither Connery nor his wife knew anything about the case and suggested they be notified "immediately".
He also asked the judge to send him a copy of the charge sheet as well as any evidence justifying the charges so that he could pass them on to the couple, who now live in the Bahamas.
In response, Puyol accused the ambassador of "intimidation" and launching an attack on the "independence of the Spanish judiciary". He also passed the letter on to the Spanish foreign office to "determine whether an ambassador should send a letter to a judge in a case involving a fellow citizen".
Connery is rumoured to be considering an action for defamation against his accusers and has reportedly hired expensive libel lawyers in New York to look at possible legal action to recover compensation.
Links:
- El actor Sean Connery, imputado por la recalificaciÛn de su parcela en Marbella (El Mundo)
- Sean Connery summoned by Spanish court on corruption charges (Guardian)
- Criminal law (Findlaw.co.uk)
- Criminal law Q&A (Community)
- Legal news (The Solicitor)
- Find a solicitor (Contact Law)
