Local Police and Arona Councillors accused of harassment by excursion outlets

In an unusual turn of events, five Local Police officers from Arona, the Urban Planning Councillor, and the Mayor, are now potentially facing legal action over allegations of harassment and persecution of “illegal” excursion companies in Las Americas and Los Cristianos who have filed official complaints against them.

The excursion companies, which have long been labelled as "illegal" by other excursion shops and outlets for setting up desks and kiosks in public spaces, have decided to take a stand and have formally lodged complaints against the Mayor, the Urban Planning Councillor, who also serves as the Deputy Mayor and several officers from the Arona Local Police force.

These companies claim that they all their documents and payments are correct and up to date in compliance with the law, including licenses, rents, taxes, and social security for their employees, which is for over twenty people, with the relevant government bodies. These documents conclusively refute the claims of illegality made against them, making it evident that the harassment they've endured is not only unjust but also potentially criminal under the Spanish legal system.

They say that the “forceful suspension” of their activity, circumventing established administrative procedures and employing “brute force” through local police officers, has resulted in nearly thirty families being left unemployed and these businesses teetering on the brink of collapse due to the arbitrary administrative decisions of the Arona Council.

The complaints and appeals submitted to the court contain concrete evidence for the involvement of the Prosecution Service, which will determine the nature and gravity of the actions taken against these companies. Moreover, the affected businesses intend to seek due compensation for their financial losses as well as the moral damages inflicted upon them.

Over the course of several months, these companies say they have endured repeated requests for paperwork and licenses, often receiving up to six requests in a single day, all from the same police officers. This pattern of behaviour clearly demonstrates the malicious intent behind these administrative actions.

Finally, the complaining businesses wish to express their gratitude to the Regional Department of Environment of the Government of the Canary Islands, the only entity that has provided consistent and sensible responses aimed at resolving the administrative crisis.

The matter now rests in the hands of the judges and the judicial system, though the businesses say they will file additional complaints against other members of the Council, officials, and other private sector companies if their legal representatives find sufficient evidence to support such actions.