Bartolomé (Tolo) Cursach, who is Majorca's leading businessman in the nightlife sector, was arrested this morning as part of the investigations into allegations of corruption among the Palma police force.
The National Police, under instructions from Judge Manuel Penalva and prosecutor Miguel Ángel Subirán, raided Megapark in Arenal, one of the principal centres of operation for the Cursach Group, the Megasport gymnasium and various properties, including the Palma home of Tolo Cursach. Also arrested was the director of the Cursach leisure company (which includes Magalluf's BCM), Tolo Sbert. He was detained at the Cursach BH hotel in Magalluf. He was once the director-general for tourism organisation and planning with the Partido Popular government of Gabriel Cañellas. A third person arrested was Antoni Bergas, a former inspector with Palma police, ex-head of security for the Cursach entertainment division and now in charge of institutional relations with the company. Police also raided well-known clubs in Palma - Titos and Pacha.
Cursach's name has cropped on various occasions during the police corruption investigation, an aspect of which is that certain businesses had been benefiting and were being favoured. The corruption investigations have focused on various nighttime and leisure establishments - principally in Playa de Palma - and today's operation follows a raid last week on offices of Palma town hall's department for public affairs.
A large number of computer files are being analysed as a result of that raid. The National Police are interested in the processing of "denuncias" related to street drinking, street selling and the activities of "tiqueteros" (PRs) which contravened municipal bylaws. Last summer, an internal audit of police records and a separate investigation by Palma's public safety councillor, Angelica Pastor, discovered that files related to sanctions for the activities of tiqueteros were missing - up to around 600, many of which corresponded with the Cursach Group.
It was further discovered that sanction procedures had not been processed, while it was also found that there were certain establishments in Playa de Palma which hadn't been subject to inspections for some forty years.
Police sources suggest that Cursach faces fifteen charges including ones for drug trafficking, corruption of minors and crimes against the Hacienda. He is expected to be in court tomorrow or Friday. Meanwhile, further arrests are said to be possible.
Coincidental to today's operation, two weeks ago Calvia town hall dismissed a senior official who had sought to prevent an investigation by a subordinate into the licence for BCM. National Police officers also undertook a raid at the town hall yesterday.