HAPPYTHE EASTER INDEED, AS OLIVE PRESSWHAT FINALLY REACHES ALL DEBATE RAGES ON WITH ABOUT WAS SPOTTED EIGHT ANDALUCIA PROVINCES 30,000 PAPERS PRINTED OVER ESTEPONA THIS EASTER, SEE P30
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Vol. 6 Issue 134
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HOPE ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SINCE PORTUGAL SNATCH:
the
EXCL U oliv
e pr
ess
I saw Maddie on Nerja beach SIVE
EXCLUSIVE By Eloise Horsfield
A BRITISH expat has come forward believing to have seen Maddie McCann in Nerja – exactly five years since her disappearance. Rose Johnson, 70, reckons she saw the missing girl playing on Penoncillo beach – between Torrox and Nerja - last summer. The Frigiliana-based pensioner hopes her sighting will help Portuguese police who sensationally sent a request to their Spanish counterparts to investigate other sightings in Nerja just a fortnight ago. The former cleaner, who has lived in the area for a decade, has spoken out after reading an article in the Olive Press, last issue. She revealed how she had made the sighting while eating at Merendero restaurant with her partner in August last year. “We were quite taken aback when we saw this Maddie look-a-like walk off the beach and join a table of
May 03 - 16, 2012
FRYING THE FLAG FOR SPAIN
Spain has world’s top female and most influential chef See pages 10 and 47
A third of EU jobless are Spanish THEN AND NOW: Maddie, aged three, and possibly today
SPOTTED: Merendero and Rose
Expat believes she saw ‘airy fairy’ girl with dark-skinned family and Portuguese people carrier last summer what we could only describe as a party of Spanish people or similar,” said Johnson. “They were completely different to her. The whole
family was dark skinned, whereas she had fair hair and pale skin and obviously was northern European. “It was very, very strange.
She was about eight and seemed really airy-fairy, and in a world of her own. “She hardly spent any time with the family and didn’t sit with the people she was with at
all.” Johnson later saw something equally startling. “As we crossed the road to our car, just up the road
was a dark blue or grey car, a people carrier or similar – possibly a Citroen Picasso or Renault Scenic – with a Portuguese number plate,” said Johnson, originally from Buckinghamshire. “We, like a lot of people, and especially her parents, want her found and any information we can give we would like to think it could help.” Regretting that she did not take a picture with her mobile phone, she added: “We Turn to Page 14
A THIRD of all Europe’s unemployed are Spanish, it has emerged. It comes as the country goes back into recession for the first time since 2010. In more bad news, ratAings THIRD of Standard all Europe’s agency & unemployed are Spanish, Poor downgraded theit has emerged. country’s credit rating Ittwo comes as the notches fromcountry A to went back into recession for BBB+. the firstfirm time since The has 2010. already Indowngraded more bad news Spain ratings once agency Standard & Poor this year and warned it downgraded the country’s may be forced to lower its credit ratingrating further two if thenotches situafrom to BBB+. tionAfails to improve. The has already Thefirm country went downback graded Spain once this year into recession – shrinkand it may beinforced ingwarned by 0.3 per cent the tofirst lower itsmonths rating of further three the if the situation fails to improve. Turn to Page 4