Voted BEST expat paper in Spain TROUBLED: Diaz
Junta boss probed over missing €800 million A LARGE chunk of the billions syphoned off in a bogus training schemes fraud occurred under the leadership of current Junta leader Susana Diaz. The PSOE’s political rivals in Andalucia insist she must take responsibility for around €800 million of grants fraudulently taken during her time in power. While the Junta president denies this, the conclusion of a year-long investigation could put her position in jeopardy.
Jeopardy
The results of the probe into the theft of €3 billion from Junta coffers over a ten-year period already demand former leaders Antonio Grinan faces six years in prison and Manuel Chavez, a 10-year ban from politics. The parliamentary commission examined how money to stimulate employment and train the unemployed was instead funnelled into hundreds of bogus training schemes. Under a disgraceful process, numerous companies were set up to get funds for training that never took place. Both Podemos and the PP have accused Diaz of being ‘politically responsible’ for the scams from 2013 to 2015, when an estimated €803 million disappeared. Diaz claims she is blameless as the training schemes were already set up when she took power.
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Vol. 10 Issue 249 www.theolivepress.es September 28th - October 11th 2016
days since Brexit vote Power couple Look back Matador and singer pair to build new Ronda hotel
We examine the first 100 days since the EU referendum
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan
AN expat who scammed dozens of investors in a bogus truffle scheme has died, leaving a string of investors millions out of pocket. The untimely death of Wendy Smart - aka Wendy Jeffery - has left countless backers in the UK and Spain wondering where their investment has gone. They question where an estimated €4 million of investors money is currently located, amid claims much is offshore in the Seychelles and the Cayman Islands. While they seem satisfied
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Expat fraudster dies leaving dozens of investors millions short in dodgy truffle scheme
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she has died, they are now demanding those close to her reveal the whereabouts of their money. The suspect scheme to produce black truffles quite simply never got off the ground, with the science failing to work and the amount Smart actually invested remaining highly suspicious. After failing to plant a single tree in the Ronda area - despite dozens of expats inSCAMMER: Wendy Jeffery vesting in the scheme that was ‘guaranteed’ to make huge returns - she fled to Valencia. Claiming there were better growing conditions there, she took yet more victims in a government manifesto in 2015’. money, until finally exposed Shindler has lived in Italy for 34 years after by the Olive Press in July fighting in the battle of Anzio and Rome’s liber2014. ation, but has mixed feelings about the decision. In a damning investigation, “Planning for the D-Day invasion took less time we revealed how the project than the preparation of this bill,” he said. was a shambles. “We’re telling other people how to become a The land had not been propdemocracy, but we’re not a proper democracy erly acquired, numerous ourselves. trees had died and the staff “This makes us a complete democracy.” and subcontractors had not
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THOUSANDS of expats will win the right to vote in UK elections after Theresa May vowed to change the law. The Prime Minister pledged to extend voting rights to expats who have lived abroad for more than 15 years after a World War Two veteran lobbied parliament. Harry Shindler, 95, received a letter from May assuring him all Brits living outside the UK will be able to vote in elections by 2020, as ‘set out
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Vol. 8 Issue 192 www.theolive press.es
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SNUFFLED! July 24 - Aug 6 2014
IT’S official. The infamous Gibraltar border queues being deliberately created are by Spain, according to new statistical proof. The recently launched Monitoring Programme Frontier the number of cars thatrecords cross from the Rock to La Linea in one minute. The flow rate should technically remain constant, irrespective of the number of cars waiting to cross. However, data collected on a single day this week shows a HE claimed to have massive drop from 7.8 invented entering Spain per minutecars a ground-breaking truffle inat oculation method 2pm, to 1.5 per minute Expat Roger Wallis, who that would at 6pm. ‘guarantee’ Just one hour later at 3pm, plantation owners nally worked with Smart origithe a good yield of flow rate had slowed the expensive TRUFFLE TROUBLE: decade ago in Ronda, over a down to delicacy. claims Smart at a ‘healthy plantation’ 2.9 cars per minute, which that if he did actually visit, and (right) her Valencia when the queues started is And during a memorable visit scientist would no doubt the farm under the name Europe EXCLUSIVE be build up. By 6pm it was to to the Dragons Den BBC TV ‘horrified’. fles. But nothing came Truf- tors have teamed up with By Tom Powell 1.5 show in 2006, Dr to frui- series cars coinciding with a “The plantation does not Paul Thomas tion. No estate was bought, of leaving work-places to people even snared €100,000 of in- marketing nor Valencia new shareholders in healthy and apparentlylook a single tree planted. return vestment from who also claim that skills, among many home. Yo! Sushi found- other third of the crop is dying,” a their investment is anything So when she suddenly talents. The expat he er Simon Woodroffe. claimed. Ronda for Valencia four left but safe. rived in Spain 15 years had arWhile it was later put ago with The leader of a recently ago, claiming ‘better years Concerned about the state Dramatic he went on to sell his on hold, high hopes of starting a truffle launched action group, exciting plantation to offer growing conditions’, shetruffle her plantation, in Tirig, and of Walinvention via his company to investors. lis invested almost €20,000 behind a trail of concerned left future of its oak trees, they the But by 7pm, the rate increased chorizal Systems across My- After creating a slick website cast ex- doubts that in 230 trees in an effort the and an enticing business pats, not to mention they will ever see a dramatically back to 12.7 world. plan, help Smart, his then friend, to per up-in-arms over allegedworkers return on their money. she enlisted minute. Acting Chief in unpaid And 2013. Minister Enter Wendy Smart, a horse- tic investors dozens of optimisdebts. Here she enlisted worse, despite receiving Dr Joseph Garcia commented: breeding life coach with in the Ronda area Dr He also persuaded friends direct with promises up to €1 million in investment, Thomas and his methods. “The drop in cars crossing of high returns, invest, before discovering to Smart the But now those anxious border from 12.7 cars to inves- holder – the majority sharehis ‘horror’ that she per min- is refusing to pay some ute to 1.5 is undeniable ready received ‘nearly ahad alex-employees. of the way in which delaysproof pounds in investment’, million Dr Thomas, also a substanare being generated. of it sent to an offshore much tial shareholder, admitted com“The flow rate is clearly night that he had been last depany in the Seychelles. liberately reduced by contacted frequently by thorities, waiting times the auworried investors. hours are intolerable inof three Untouchable an inBut the Sheffield-based ternal border of the European tist told the Olive Press: scienUnion. “She owns over 65% a lot of allegations, but “I hear “The brunt of this hardship of the I am alshares in the company ways cautious. is borne by EU nationals, so therefore thou“We are she still is waiting almost sands of whom live in Spain touchable,” he told the unresults before makingfor test but work in Gibraltar. Needless Olive Press. ments, and I have also judgto say, residents of Gibraltar “I have tried to shake visited the plantation.” not yet and tourists are also being shareholders simply up the When pressed on when afThe festival season starts exContinues on Page tect the trees because to proactly this would be, he 16 people Paul Weller (left) wowed on the crest of a wave with The Beach Boys stand to lose a lot of money.” “I haven’t got any plans added: in Marbella (tonight) while the Benicassim crowds to visit and Steel Pulse rocked For one person it is soon, but Wendy has asked the Rock. See page 9. already me to come this year.”
Expat truffle farmer with links to Dragons Den is in hot water over claims of unpaid debts from Ronda to Valencia
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been paid. At the time, an action group was set up to demand answers and attempt to recoup money that the group claimed had been sent offshore. But now that chance has all but gone with the untimely death of Smart, who suffered a stroke and fell into a coma at her farmhouse in the Villamartin area of Cadiz. One British expat, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Olive Press that he has ‘no hope’ of ever seeing a return on his €20,000 investment in 230 trees. “There must be money somewhere and there are certainly assets somewhere, money •
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doesn’t just disappear. “I got on with Wendy as soon as I met her and she offered me commission for introducing people to the company. “Soon enough money started appearing in my bank account, small amounts at first then building up to one payment of €2,000. I suddenly got interested! “This is when I invested €20,000 in the company and then the problems started and the cash flow stopped.” He added: “I just feel sorry for the pensioners who have invested their life savings. Wendy has left a trail of devastation behind her.” He believes around €4 million was invested in total. While she spent money on a slick website and marketing materials, the science from UK expert Dr Paul Thomas came to nothing. The land was eventually taken back by the owners and Smart’s company Parkview was closed and she reopened under Europe Truffles SL, which has now disbanded. Wendy’s husband Martin failed to respond to phone calls or emails as we went to press.