WHY SPAIN IS MORE TRADITIONAL ABOUT HALLOWEEN - P.16 The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía
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Vol. 9 Issue 225
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October 28th - November 11th 2015
Rato’s Rock secret
What have Cliff Richard, Croydon and a severed hand got to do with General Franco?
See our 40 Franco facts on the 40th anniversary of his death - P. 6-7
British Legion appeal to prevent Armistice Day fraud Urgent warning after thousands of Remembrance Day poppies and collection boxes vanish
RED ALERT! EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell
IT is a time of year when big-hearted expats rally around raising money for one of the world’s most worthy causes. A time to remember the millions who fell during two world wars, many of us will be wearing a poppy on our lapels to honour and support retired and injured personnel. But this year, be extremely careful before putting your euro into the collection tin. For, in a ‘deplorable’ state of affairs, an incredible 9,000 poppies and dozens of blue collection tins are believed to have been stolen from a storeroom on the Costa del Sol. The Olive Press can reveal that the entire stock of poppies for the Estepona and Manilva areas was ransacked in March, along with a sentimental coffin-sized Union Jack flag for funerals. Now the British Legion is warning expats and tourists alike to be ‘extremely wary’ of poppy boxes. Insisting that any poppies sold in the Western Costa del Sol will most likely be ‘illegal’, the Estepona branch is now trying to solve the mystery. Chairman Keith Ranshaw, 67, told the Olive Press: “I want to warn people that any poppy appeal box-
es found west of Estepona this year are illegal. “We don’t know for certain if the boxes were actually stolen, but I don’t understand how anyone could see them and not know what they are. “It’s exasperating to think somebody could just dump them, or worse, try to con people with them,” added the former RAF pilot. Earlier this year, Ranshaw, who has owned an apartment in Duquesa for nine years, discovered the locks on the storage room had been changed af-
ter a bank repossession of the next door apartment. When Ranshaw filed a report with the local police, he was told that there was ‘nothing they could do’ as there was no proof of a theft. When they eventually gained access to the locker, it was empty of all poppies and boxes, along with a flag and all the branch’s paperwork and AGM minutes. Manilva councillor for foreign affairs, Dean Tyler Shelton labelled the saga ‘deplorable’. “I will be letting expats know to be on the lookout for this potential fraud occurring over the next few weeks when poppies would normally be almost everywhere,” he told the Olive Press. Meanwhile, the Estepona Branch has been forced to close, due to a lack of volunteers. It means the only official places to buy poppies in Estepona will be at the International Citizens Centre and the Wheel House. The owner of Fathoms Bar in Sabinillas, Tony Fathoms, has ordered a poppy box directly from the Legion’s central base in Coin.
DISGRACED ex-IMF chief Rodrigo Rato allegedly has links to 26 Gibraltar-based companies. The former Spanish deputy prime minister attempted to hide the connections from authorities, it has emerged. Rato apparently owns two of the companies in question and has strong ties to the others, sitting on the board of directors in many. Accused of money laundering, authorities have been clamping down on Rato over the last year.
Scandal
During investigations, he has been accused of setting up a number of businesses in family members’ names in order to launder money and avoid tax payments. According to media reports, he now also stands accused of failing to declare the extent of his wealth, allegedly hiding a number of offshore companies in ‘tax havens’ such as Gibraltar. As president of Bankia, he was also found responsible for the so-called ‘black cards’ credit card scandal as well as mismanagement of the banking group. Last year, Rato was ordered to pay €3 million to the banking group for his role in the scandal.
Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es if you information.
Opinion Page 6
Search for Lorca begins again Page 3
Last miners of Spain snapped Page 14