Olive Press Costa Blanca - Issue57

Page 1

OLIVE PRESS

The

COSTA BLANCA

SAN JAVIER Mijas Costa

FREE

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 3 Issue 57 www.theolivepress.es June 3rd - June 16th 2021

Find out about Spain’s 10 capital cities See page 12

ONE WAY OUT

Expats must stay in Spain in limbo for two years while alleged residency scam is probed by police EXCLUSIVE By Simon Wade

How one organised community of expats is putting El Raso on the map

* O f f e r

v a l i d

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd

f o r

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

o n l y .

The

EXPATS caught up in a fraudulent residency scam run by a gestor on the Costa Blanca have been told by police that they can’t leave the country while the case is investigated. Dozens of people are facing a life in legal limbo for up to two years while police investigate the alleged fraud before it is decided if they face deportation or can legally stay. It comes after the Olive Press reported on a group of expats who had been detained by police over padron certificates that952 appear 147 834 to have been doctored by one particular gestor they hired to process their TIE applications.

See page 12

OLIVE PRESS

SAN JAVIER Mijas Costa FREE

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 2 Issue 40 www.theolivepress .es May 20th - June 2nd 2021

Prime suspect

Tragic mystery

Bear in the frame for series of grizzly livestock killings in the Pyrenees

The Olive Press helps TV investigation into the death of Kirsty Maxwell

See page 3

See page 6

Award Winning Rehabilitation Clinic

Are you feeling depressed? Addiction problems? www.villaparadisospain.com

Tel: 952 147 834

‘Hellish and humiliating’ as British expats arrested over ‘fraudulent’ residency applications

A GROUP of British expats have been detained by police EXCLUSIVE By Simon Wade after their padron certificates proving they lived in Spain appear to have been doc- derly expats described the situation as ‘humiliating’ and tored. At least eight people have ‘hellish’, after they were held been grilled over the town for questioning under cauhall registration forms, which tion. were all handled by the same They told the Olive Press how they were carted to Alicangestor company on the Costa te police station and grilled Blanca. National Police confirmed to about falsifying documents the Olive Press that detec- submitted with their TIE tives are working alongside card applications. the Guardia Civil to now in- “We were wrongly arrested vestigate all residencia appli- for submitting fake padrons, cations in Alicante made in even though we put the correct ones in with our paper2021. work for residencia,” said Jay Elliott, 66, of Orihuela Costa, Fraud who has lived in Spain for It comes after ‘widespread over five years. fraud’ was allegedly detected She and her friend Lily Higin over 22 Britons attempting gins, 71, had planned for a peaceful retirement in the to become resident here. This week a number of el- sun but are now living with the threat of a court case or

See page 11

TM

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

E n d s

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

1

lice Station and questioned over her part in ‘an alleged fraud’. The 53-year-old said she and her husband Nigel had confronted Matt Smith, owner of One Way Services, about why a doctored certificate had been submitted on their behalf. “Smith said he was only trying to help people,” she told the Olive Press. “He said he’d already admitted his guilt to the police, before shredding my fake padron in front of my eyes” she added. He added that she should ‘expect a phone call from the police merely to answer a few questions’. However, after beSee page 23 ing taken away in a police car, held for two hours, fingerprinted and 3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 . photographed, 21/6/19 13:30

Tel: 952 147 834 TM

Wigs R Us

c o n d i t i o n s .

HUMILIATED: Lily and Jay were questioned even deportation. “I’ve never been in trouble before but here I am, being treated like a common criminal,” said Higgins. “It’s humiliating.” They added that the same gestor is being investigated for changing the date on at least 22 more British applicants. Another couple, who asked not to be named, told the Olive Press how they had been questioned when they went that his is anything but the to collect their TIE cards. only gestor business to be “We were taken into a room, dragged into the investigaread our rights and told to tion explain why our 2021 padron “Nobody has been arrested, had been doctored to show a that is a fact,” he insisted, 2020 date - it was hell.” adding: “Other gestors are All those detained had used also being brought in as part One Way Services, a gestor of an ongoing investigation based in Quesada, near Torinto TIE applications.” revieja, to process their apA police spokesman told the plications - including the Olive Press: “All residencia padron. Owner Matt Smith insisted Continues on Page 5

SCOOP: How the Olive Press broke the story last edition

S u b j e c t

Grilled

t o

See page 10

I BEG YOUR PADRON

They included 71-year-old widow Lily Higgins and friend Jay Elliott, who were grilled over their town hall registration forms, which were handled by One Way Services. Several more have since come forward to complain about the British gestor, in Ciudad Quesada, which is at the centre of the investigation. These include Jane Long of Torrevieja who was taken to Alicante Po-

b j e c t

Girl power The female warriors who took on Drake’s army - and won!

E n d s

Benidorm

21/6/19 13:30

The highest quality ladies or mens wigs available and can be purchased from our retail shop in the centre of Benidorm and also on our online store ELLE WILLE COLLECTIONS CHANGES • PERUCCI • HAIR SOCIETY • HAIR POWER PRIME POWER • POWER PIECES • HAIR FOR MANCE PURE EUROPE • PURE POWER COLLECTION

Visit us online

www.WIGS-R-US.es Av. Ametlla de Mar, 9, 03502, Benidorm, Alicante (+34) 604 285 367

STUCK: Jane Long (above) has been told by police that she can’t travel while Lily Higgins and Jay Elliott were ‘treated like criminals’ after using One Way Services

she was told by detectives at the Policia Nacional that she will be considered ‘guilty, until proven innocent’. Mrs Long despaired: “I was told I couldn’t even travel back to the UK because I’m a criminal!” The Kent woman revealed that the police had informed her, ‘another 40-plus people will also be arrested.’ Fellow Brit, Brian Williams, 63, told us he also had to give a statement at Alicante police station last week. It involved the property owner, who has lived in Spain for seven years, having his fingerprints taken, as well as getting photographed. “It was astonishing,” he told the Olive Press. “I’m now told the court case could take 18 months to two years, possibly more.” He continued: “I started all this on September 1, but it became apparent as time went on there was something amiss. “I feel this can go two ways: I'm found guilty and deported or after possibly two years I'm granted residencia. “I put all my faith into One Way Services and have been SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS so let down, a Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea very stressful time for me and countless othwww.moraira-hamiltons.net ers,” he added.

96 649 1883

When the Olive Press called Matt Smith for an explanation he refused to answer questions. “Speak to my lawyer,” he said before hanging up. National Police confirmed to the Olive Press that detectives are working alongside the Guardia Civil to now investigate all residencia applications in Alicante made in 2021.

Cleared

The lawyer later confirmed to the Olive Press that Smith had made a statement to police clearing his clients of any knowledge of the alleged fraud. “My client explained [to the police] that none of the clients had produced the applications themselves [but] only paid my client to apply for the TIE on their behalf,” David Guijarro Mayor from ABC solicitors told the Olive Press in re-

sponse to written questions. He sought to reassure One Way clients that they would not be held criminally responsible. “So it is totally clear now that the criminal investigation is being focused only against my client so for sure the fiscal will not start criminal actions against his clients sadly affected,” he said. If it emerges that any other of One Way clients were to be detained over the matter, the lawyer said: “Mr Smith will proceed immediately to clarify in front of police or/and the court that these clients have no relation at all with any criminal activity.” Have you been affected? Please contact us on newsdesk@theolivepress.es Opinion Page 6


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.