The owner of the Murcia nightclub that was devastated by a fire on October 1 in which 13 people died has denied any connection with the club since, as he declared before the judge, for five years he has only been limited to performing. as an intermediary between the owner of the industrial warehouse in which the business is located and its current managers.
That is the version given in the investigation phase of this procedure by Marco M., whom the police investigation opened into the fires considers to be the owner of Teatre, where the agents also believe without a doubt that the fire originated, despite the fact that all the victims died in the attached business, Fonda Milagros.
His lawyer, Manuel Maza, had a hard time making himself understood to the numerous journalists waiting for the hearing to start, which was delayed for about two hours because the person being investigated could not access Murcia capital due to the protests in the agricultural sector that were taking place. are taking place this Tuesday throughout the country and have made access to the city difficult.
According to the lawyer, Marco M. rented the industrial warehouse on which the two nightclubs are built to another businessman, Manuel Cerezo.
It was 2007 and the Atalayas industrial estate, where it is located, was not then a nightlife area.
It was Marco M. who, after an investment of around one million euros, gave shape to the Teatre nightclub, and was in charge of its management until 2018. At that time he had already commissioned the project to divide the warehouse into two and decided to transfer the business but, as the price was high, similar to the investment made, he opted for a temporary solution: subleasing Teatre y Fonda Milagros.
According to his lawyer's version, Marco M. has since then been a mere intermediary: he collects rent from those responsible for Teatre and Fonda Milagos with which he in turn pays the owner of the ship.
All of this, temporarily until the definitive transfer of the businesses is made.
In no case, the lawyer has insisted, his client had nothing to do with the management of the nightclubs, was unaware of the party that was being held on the night of the tragic fire and much less had any idea of the use of the cold fire machine that the police consider that caused the fire.
He has also denied that he had any type of relationship with the employees of the rooms, but he has acknowledged that he was aware of their administrative situation and that they were under an order to cease activity from 2022. In fact, as the lawyer has acknowledged, it was his client who commissioned the project to divide the warehouse that houses the nightclubs into two and it was this division that led the City Council to issue the closure order.
According to the lawyer, the current managers of the two rooms were aware of this administrative situation, but he also warned that the local Administration allowed them to be in operation "as proven, for example, by inspections that have been carried out or even police sanctions." local".
Marco M. also stopped for a few seconds with journalists at the exit of the court to lament the tragedy: “I am very sorry for what has happened, it has been a tremendous damage to everyone.
When I created this room with great enthusiasm and did this business it was, logically, to create a space for entertainment and I am very sorry for what has happened, although it has been five years since I gave up that management, I no longer have anything to do with it. exploitation of the room”, he stressed.
He has also denied the information published in various media outlets that indicated that he was wanted and captured.
As he explained, his lawyer has been “at all times” in contact with the police and the court, and he has always been “at the disposal of justice”, even though he was not in Spain, but attending to the cases. businesses he runs in Latin America.
The investigation phase for this procedure is scheduled to continue next Tuesday, February 13, with the statement of the manager of the Fonda Milagros, who would be the last of the six investigated in the case to testify before the investigating judge.
In addition to Marcos M, the two people in charge of Teatre, Eva M. and Juan I., have already done it, as well as the DJ who organized the party, Carlos R., and the owner of the spark or cold fire machine, Alfonso G.
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