For nearly two decades, Carlos Fernández, a former Marbella city councilman, remained one of the most wanted figures in the high-profile Malaya corruption case. His name repeatedly surfaced in reports about large-scale schemes on the Costa del Sol, but he vanished from Spanish authorities’ radar back in 2006. Now, years later, Fernández has ended up in police custody — he was detained at Madrid’s Barajas airport after arriving on a flight from Argentina.
The arrest operation took place early in the morning: the flight from Buenos Aires landed slightly ahead of schedule, and border control systems immediately flagged an international arrest warrant. Fernández did not resist and was taken to the National Court building. There, after several hours, the judges decided to release him on the condition that he appear for a hearing scheduled for November.
The fugitive’s long road: from Marbella to South America
Fernández’s disappearance began in July 2006, as the second wave of arrests in the Malaya case swept through Marbella. At that time, he was the second deputy mayor and a member of the Andalusian party. Upon learning of his impending arrest, he chose to go into hiding. According to investigators, he crossed the border into Portugal, where controls were minimal, and from there flew to Brazil. Within days, his trail was spotted in Argentina, where he arrived via Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires.
In the following years, Fernández tried to have the criminal charges dropped, even voluntarily appearing before Argentine authorities in 2017. However, his extradition to Spain never took place: the Argentine court refused his handover. Throughout this period, the former official kept a low profile until he decided to return home and face Spanish justice in person.
Corruption charges and political career
During his political career, Fernández was closely linked to prominent figures in Marbella, including the late Jesús Gil. In 2003, he took part in the change of local government and subsequently became the second deputy mayor. However, in 2005 he was ousted from the team for allegedly pressuring municipal employees to fund the party.
In the Malaya case, Fernández is accused of taking large bribes, abuse of office, and embezzlement. According to investigators, he may have received at least €150,000 from the mastermind of the corruption scheme, Juan Antonio Roca. In addition, he has faced other charges related to urban planning violations and financial dealings with the San Pedro Alcántara sports club.
What’s next for Fernández
The former politician is currently free, but must appear in court in November. At the hearing, both sides are expected to seek an agreement that could reduce his sentence. Despite years on the run, Fernández has managed to avoid pretrial detention, but his fate will be decided in the coming months.
