‘Gib National Day is the best part of the year’ - Jonathan Lutwyche. See Page 21
The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía
olive press
the Let HiFX help you reach your destination. www.hifx.co.uk
FREE
Vol. 9 Issue 221 www.theolivepress.es
September 3rd - September 16th 2015
We’re not money launderers Dream Costa del Sol villa sale falls through after Natwest suspects British couple of money-laundering
n i d n u Fo n o i t a l s tran Who are Lady Gaga, Radiohead and One Direction’s Spanish sound-alikes?
A BRITISH couple have launched legal action after their dream move to Spain was left in tatters when Natwest bank froze their account over suspicions of moneylaundering. Yvonne and Jules Minto found themselves in a ‘living hell’ when they discovered their planned villa purchase could not go through just days before signing. Despite countless appeals to the bank, the purchase of the three-bedroom home, in Torremolinos, had to be scrapped at the last minute. Unable to access their funds for two weeks, they were forced to live on their credit
EXCLUSIVE By Iona Napier cards and even borrowed money from a local estate agent to survive. “I couldn’t believe it when Natwest said we were suspected of money-laundering and had to prove the money was from the sale,” said Yvonne, 48, from Hertfordshire. The security manager, originally from Glasgow, added: “There is absolutely no evidence of any fraud and myself and my wife are absolutely devastated.” She added: “All we did was sell our house. I wouldn’t even know how to moneylaunder if I wanted to.”
Page 18
Shares take a plunge
Great SteakS and BurGerS • Live SportS • pooL taBLe CaLLe de La Cruz (FiSh aLLey) • FuenGiroLa
UK TV Solutions No contract IPTV Satellite TV •
663 303 932 / 675 033 474 info@alpusat.com www.alpusat.com
Free varifocal lenses with glasses from 89€ 59€
SPAIN’S stock exchange has suffered its worst month in three years amid serious worries over the economic situation in China. The Ibex 35, based in Madrid, closed August with a drop of 8.24% on July. The final session, on Monday, closed with a fall of 0.91%. Yesterday, trading was also slightly down, although not as bad as some had feared. It comes as stock markets across Europe are stuttering in the wake of China’s sudden economic slowdown.
FROZEN OUT: Sale lost for Yvonne and Jules Minto Their nightmare began after they sold their home in Hertfordshire for €270,000 (£200,000) last month, with a long-term plan to move to Spain.
Horrifying
But while the money initially appeared in their UK account, it suddenly disappeared while they were travelling to Spain, via France. “We only found out when we came to pay for a hotel bill,” explained Yvonne. “It was horrifying and we had to spend the next few days on the phone to the UK trying to sort it out, incurring hundreds in phone bills.” While Natwest has now fi-
nally reinstated the money it is too late for their property purchase, with the home now sold to another buyer. Although they have found a new property to buy in Benalmadena they have called in lawyers to help them get compensation for the thousands they have lost due to extra hotel costs and other incidentals. The couple have moved to Spain with their dogs and are planning to open a beach bar and lead a ‘healthier, less stressful life’. “However this is hardly the dream start. We have suffered more stress than ever before in our lives,” said Yvonne. Natwest declined to comment due to ‘client confidentiality’.
Fee free, international payments
See our ad inside for details.
Fully accreditted BSKYB technician based in Las Alpujarras
PostOffice.co.uk/internationalpayments The International Payment Service is provided by Moneycorp
Find us on facebook.com/alpusat.alpujarra
OLIVE PRESS – 70mm x 40mm FRONT COVER
2nd September