Marbella mayor Angeles Muñoz has been summoned to court as part of a legal dispute over the estate of her late husband, Swedish businessman Lars Broberg.
A court in Marbella has called Muñoz to attend proceedings to begin drawing up an inventory of Broberg’s assets before his estate can be divided among his heirs.
The case follows a claim brought by two of Broberg’s children from previous relationships, who allege they have not received the share of the inheritance they believe they are entitled to following their father’s death.
According to court documents seen by Spanish media, Muñoz had initially been scheduled to appear this week.
However, the hearing was postponed after not all parties involved in the inheritance proceedings could be formally notified.
The mayor had also requested permission to appear by videoconference rather than attending the court in person, although the court had not ruled on that request before the postponement.
Dispute over Swedish inheritance law
The case centres on whether Broberg’s children from previous relationships are entitled to inherit immediately after his death.
Broberg retained Swedish nationality throughout his life and is understood to have spent less than half the year in Spain for tax purposes.
Under Swedish inheritance law, the surviving spouse generally inherits first, with the couple’s joint children receiving their inheritance only after the surviving spouse dies.
However, children from previous relationships can, in certain circumstances, claim their inheritance immediately following the death of their parent.
It is on this basis that two of Broberg’s sons have brought legal action.
The court will now establish the full value of Broberg’s estate before determining how it should be distributed.
Organised crime investigation
Lars Broberg was a property developer on the Costa del Sol who was prosecuted in 2022 in connection with an alleged money laundering investigation linked to drug trafficking.
The proceedings against him were later discontinued because of his deteriorating health before his death.
His son, Joakim Broberg, is also awaiting judgment following a separate trial before Spain’s National Court on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. He denies the allegations.
Spanish prosecutors have alleged that Lars Broberg was involved in laundering more than €7 million generated by hashish trafficking allegedly linked to a Swedish organised crime network known as the ‘Mocro Mafia’.
During that investigation, police requested a separate corruption inquiry examining whether Joakim Broberg had sought to exploit his stepmother’s political position.
However, prosecutors and the investigating judge did not pursue those requests, and Angeles Muñoz has not been charged with any offence in connection with that investigation.
Estate to be assessed
As part of the inheritance proceedings, the court will compile a full inventory of Broberg’s assets before any distribution takes place.
Spanish media report that the estate may include a luxury Marbella mansion jointly purchased by the couple in 2003, featuring indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a cinema room, gym, sauna and nine bathrooms.
The property has previously attracted public attention because it was acquired through a corporate structure involving Gibraltar-registered companies.
Muñoz and Broberg were married under a separation of assets regime.
The inheritance proceedings are civil in nature and relate solely to the distribution of Broberg’s estate. The court has not yet ruled on the competing inheritance claims.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
