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Staff reporter

PALMA
THE Andratx planning corruption case opened in the Palma High Court yesterday and all four of the main suspects, including the former mayor Eugenio Hidalgo, are expected to be on the bench for the first day of proceedings.

Hidalgo will be accompanied by Jaime Gibert, the former Andratx planning inspector, Jaime Massot, an ex-Balearic government planning chief and a former legal advisor Ignacio Mir as one of the most explosive corruption cases is finally heard.

The prosecution will be pushing for a six-year jail term for both Hidalgo and Gibert, two years for Massot and 12 months for Mir.
The Andratx Case blew up 18 months ago when the Guardia Civil serious fraud squad, under the orders of the chief prosecutor's anti-fraud department, launched Operation Voramar and swooped on Andratx Town Hall and a number of properties and offices in Palma.

Today, the Palma High Court will be a hive of activity.
Two television cameras are being installed to cover the court proceedings and over 40 members of the media have been accredited to cover the case which lifted the lid on planning corruption and over development in Majorca and hit the front pages all over Spain.

The scandal also led to the Partido Popular losing control of Andratx Council and also played a hand in the PP's local election defeat last year.