Marbella-based judge who has been overseeing a corruption case in which Sean Connery and his wife have been implicated, has quit the Marbella Court.

RICARDO PUYOL, the Marbella-based judge who has been overseeing a corruption case in which Sean Connery and his wife have been implicated, has quit the Marbella Court.

But before he steps down he is expected to see through the proceedings in the headline-grabbing ‘Goldfinger’ case.



Connery and his wife, and about 20 other people, including members of the lawyers’ offices, Diaz-Bastien y Truan, and the ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, face charges of the misuse of public funds, perversion of the course of justice, fraud, and town planning crimes in the Goldfinger case, which arose from the sale of the Connery villa ‘Malibu’ and the construction of 72 flats on the site.

Puyol leaves his post without completing the investigation process, which is looking at alleged illegal development on the ground where Connery and his wife lived for many years from the 1970s.

Auditors estimate that over €2.7m were taken from public funds to complete the properties, while the General Plan for Urban Development (PGOU) in 1986 also states that it only authourised the building of five houses.

It’s estimated that profits perhaps as high as €53 million were gained from Malibu site sale.