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José Elías Under Criminal Investigation for Alleged Illegal Mansion in Protected Tiana Forest

A Mataró court is probing the billionaire entrepreneur for unauthorized construction in a non-urbanizable forest park, with potential penalties including prison and demolition.

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El empresario José Elías, presidente de Audax Renovables, en una imagen de archivo

Overview

  • José Elías, founder of Audax Renovables and La Sirena, is accused of building a two-story mansion, pool, and padel court without municipal permits in a protected forest park in Tiana.
  • The property lies within land classified as non-urbanizable under two special protection plans safeguarding its ecological, landscape, and historical significance.
  • Local police documented unauthorized earthworks, tree clearing, and partial demolitions starting in 2018, despite municipal stop-work orders being issued.
  • In May 2025, the Public Prosecutor's Office filed a criminal complaint, and Judge Elisabet Loscos has formally opened a pre-trial investigation into urban planning offenses.
  • If found guilty, Elías faces up to four years in prison, fines, and a court-ordered demolition of the illegal structures.