Miguel Ángel Ramírez Alonso has been “pardoned” by the government over a three year prison sentence for illegally building and then repeatedly expanding his luxury home in Pino Santo (Las Palmas, Canary Islands).
Miguel, who owns Seguridad Integral Canaria, the largest private security firm in the islands, and also owns the Union Deportiva Las Palmas football team, was sentenced by the High Court of the Canary Islands to three years in jail and costs of demolition of the home. On appeal the prison sentence remained but the amount he had to demolish was reduced.
However, and before Miguel started his jail term, he was partially pardoned today – in exchange for agreeing to immediately demolish the aviary, the new road, the pergola and the perimeter wall, his jail sentence is commuted to just two years prison sentence. And, of course, a two year prison sentence is Spain is equivalent to a suspended sentence, you don’t actually get locked up (unless you’re poor and done for a peasant crime like shoplifting). The “pardon” says he doesn’t have to demolish anything else because it would make the situation worse.
The central Ministry of Justice said that it took into account the fact that when he built the works, although he had no permits, it wasn’t natural park, so it’s not fair to send him to jail. Think the Algarrobico can allege the same?