Costa Blanca South/Murcia Olive Press - Issue 53

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Vol. 2 Issue 53 www.theolivepress.es November 18th - December 1st 2021

Bardot fights the bulls

A close call

33 rescued as pleasure boat sinks off Costa Blanca

BAD COP

See page 3

Glasgow conference does just half the job See page 10

DRAMATIC: Flotilla of boats rushed to the SOS rescue call from the Ole

Unbelieva-bull

FAKE NEWS FIGHT

A DRAMATIC air and sea operation rescued 33 people, including children, when a pleasure boat split in two and sank.

A helicopter and Red Cross boat - aided by several small fishing boats - raced to the scene after a mayday was broadcast from the Olé catamaran off Cartagena.

All the passengers and crew were ferried to safety during Sunday’s incident, with 12 people hospitalised to be treated for hypothermia.

Investigators believe the most likely reason for the sinking was structural failure of the fibre glass vessel, which is 10 years old.

Luckily, the sea was calm and there were no rocks or other boats nearby.

Bang

The drama began at 4pm, a mile from Cartagena’s port, when passengers heard a loud bang.

“We were sitting down when we suddenly heard a loud noise that sounded like plastic breaking,” said Maria Angeles Balaguer.

“We then noticed the boat was broken on its right side and we started to sink.

“It took a few minutes for us to be rescued but it seemed like a lifetime,” she added.

The 23-metre long catamaran has long been a popular attraction with daily trips around the bay that could accommodate up to 96 passengers.

Divers have now located the wreck, which lies at a depth of 35 metres.

It is planned to raise the vessel to investigate the cause of its sinking.

GUTTED: Alok Sharma choked back tears at COP26

IT is a battle that respectable media groups, like the Olive Press, have waged for years.

Now Valencia’s health department has joined the fight by opening up a series of new social media accounts to fight ‘fake news’.

The aim of the project is to increase the number of people accessing important health information.

It comes after a series of ‘bulos’ (or fake news stories) were called out during the pandemic.

Valencia government to battle the spread of ‘bulos’ on social media and fake news sites

By Alex Trelinski

One of these, spread by Fuengirola-based website Euro Weekly News, had to be tackled directly by Spain’s central government.

The story that Spain was set to go back into a total lockdown again last Autumn, was entirely untrue and based on a fictitious chat between two Spanish ministers, allegedly overheard in a Marbella cafe.

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advantage of them to reach them,” said Health Minister, Ana Barcelo.

“Another objective is to disseminate truthful information that counteracts potential fake news,” she added.

New Facebook and Instagram profiles have been started up by the public health department, in addition to current YouTube and Twitter feeds.

Postings will be made of general health news as well as key announcements.

Barcelo added: “We have seen the proliferation of fake news during the pandemic and it is crucial to counteract what is being said.

“People need to be able to inform themselves at official and reliable sources, and by being on Facebook and Instagram we serve that need in both the adult and younger population.”

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The health department’s Twitter account has over 85,600 followers with nearly 800 new users joining in the last month.

The Olive Press was praised by politicians around Spain when we tackled a series of fake news stories about the pandemic last year.

In addition, Google awarded us for our honest and professional reporting through its News Initiative.

2

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF No cover up A manhole cover thief has been arrested by Elche police after his loot was found at his Algoda area home. Residents witnessed the robberies and identified him to the police.

Deaf ears 90% of COVID-19 ICU hospital admissions in the Valencian Community are unvaccinated patients according to regional health ministry figures.

Reverse fate A woman, 92, died after her daughter reversed a car into her on a Beniel farm in Murcia.

The elderly victim was trapped under the vehicle and died instantly.

Doc hit POLICE arrested a woman at Murcia’s San Andres health centre after she attacked a doctor who would not renew her sick leave absence from work.

AN angry motorist drove over a policeman’s foot after getting a fine for parking in a no-waiting zone.

The driver, 62, illegally pulled up his car and went inside an Alhama de Murcia property.

When he returned outside, he saw a

Rival gangsters from Alicante and Malaga arrested in huge police clean up POLICE have swooped on seven gangsters from two Swedish mafia gangs in Spain.

The rival gangsters, described as ‘extremely violent’ were rounded up in Marbella, Malaga, Fuengirola and Alicante.

Both gangs have been at war with each other since the assassination of the leader of one of the groups in 2013.

The war has led to dozens of deaths over the last decade,

Wrong foot Policia Local officer writing him out a ticket for his transgression.

The hot-tempered motorist got into his vehicle and ran over one of the

November 18th - December 1st 2021 officer’s feet leaving him with minor injuries.

The errant motorist was later charged with attacking a police officer, resisting arrest and serious disobedience and could now face prison and a heavy fine.

Swedish house mafia

By Ron Howells

with the rivals even planting explosives to kill each other.

National Police began probing the gangs’ Spanish members, after an incident in September in Marbella.

A further altercation, involving five individuals took place at another Marbella joint on October 30, where one of the gang attempted to kidnap a rival.

The attackers beat him badly, but were unsuccessful in getting him into a waiting van.

WANTED INSIDE! A LATVIAN branded one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives has been arrested on a Torre Pacheco urbanisation.

The European Network for the Active Search of Fugitives (ENFAST) gave 39-year-old Gatis Zvingulis his unwanted fugitive description.

He went on the run in 2017 after fatally stabbing a man during a family party in the Latvian coastal city of Ventspils.

ENFAST got a tip-off that he could be in the Murcia region leading to his arrest last week by the Policia Nacional.

The following day a tit-for-tat attack saw two hooded men shoot three occupants of a van in Fuengirola, at 3am.

One man was seriously injured and rushed to hospital, where he still remains.

Officers from Malaga’s organised crime unit have so far arrested seven men and continue to focus on identifying and locating other gang members, to prevent further attacks.

Their work led to the arrest of three men in Alicante.

A number of high end vehicles, guns, mobile devices and 12,000 euros in cash was also seized.

The men have been charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, being members of a criminal organisation, illegal possession of weapons and robbery with violence.

They were refused bail.

HOLIDAY INSIDE A HOLIDAY rental scammer has been arrested after pocketing deposits for unavailable Mar Menor apartments.

He is accused of at least 12 frauds and has four court warrants out against him for similar crimes in the Murcia region.

The fraudster posted bogus holiday rental ads online and on social media using photos of genuine properties.

The main incentive was the low cost and that a stay could be reserved for a €500 deposit.

The conman even arranged an instalment payment plan for the fraudulent deposit.

When the tenants, along with their families, went to meet him on the first day of their holiday to pick up the keys, he failed to appear.

The Guardia Civil tracked him down by locating his online IP address.

He owned multiple mobile phones and had opened an array of bank accounts.

His victims came from as far away as Cuenca and Madrid.

Coca crooks A Colombian-led cocaine gang has been busted.

The gang has been charged with large-scale drug trafficking as members distributed cocaine in the Alicante and Villajoyosa areas.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

November 18th - December 1st 2021

Bully for Bardot

SHE may have become an animal rights activist in later years, but French legend Brgitte Bardot once faced down a bull - or so it seems.

A collection of stills from the 1957 French-Italian film ‘The Night Heaven Fell’ shows Bardot on location in Spain.

The iconic actress filmed in Mijas, Torremolinos, Alhaurin and El Chorro and caused quite a stir in what was then a sleepy backwater.

The stills are part of an exhibition at Malaga’s La Termica centre called Myth and Cliches in Malaga which is open from 9am to 1pm until January 7.

LOCATION: Bardot in Andalucia

STOP MESSING ABOUT!

Chef tells politicians to get together rather than point the finger

KING OF CHEESE SPAIN’S undisputed king of the cheesy summer pop song, Georgie Dann, had died at the age of 81.

His catchy melodies were familiar to millions of British and European tourists as they filled the beach bar airwaves for decades.

He racked up an incredible 22 summer hits that included El Barbacoa, El Chiringuito and El Bimbo.

He died in Madrid’s Hospital Puerta de Hierro.

Born in 1940 in Paris, Dann whose real name was Georges Mayer Dahan, was an accomplished musician who spent nine years at the Paris Conservatory.

But he found huge success in his adopted country Spain, where he cornered the market in the cheesy pop song.

INTERNATIONAL chef and philanthropist, Jose Andres, has told rival Spanish political leaders to come together to stop pollution in the Mar Menor.

By Alex Trelinski

to victims of the La Palma volcano eruption.

Now Andres has taken to social media Money and sent a message Asturias-born Andres won to Prime Minister, this year’s Princess of As- Pedro Sanchez, and turias Award for Concord Partido Popular leadin recognition for his World er, Pablo Casado over Central Kitchen project that the pollution scandal hitting provides food to people hit one of Europe’s biggest laby natural disasters. He do- goons. “Why don’t they come nated all of the prize money together to find solutions to what is happening in the Mar Menor?” he asked on Twitter.

IN just two months they have trans- The competition is open to everyone “It is a formed from blind hairless pink- the world over and invites people to problem skinned creatures to bouncing fluffy vote for their favourite names along that has bundles of black and white cuteness. with a pithy response as to why that easy soluAnd now they need names. choice was made. tions if we Madrid Zoo has opened a com- To avoid the potential embarrasslisten to petition to name their lat- ment of a Boaty McBoatface type those who est arrivals, twin Giant scandal – when a public consultation Properties to rent and buy in the sunny Costa Blanca know. And Pandas who were born in Britain on what to call a research its people on September 6. ship resulted in a totally absurd name We have beautiful homes for saleout top choice - people will and Spain coming deserve no have to choose from a shortlist aland luxury villas to rent less!” ready announced.

Commission fee is only €2500These are You You, Jiu Jiu, Andres is an AmeriXing Mu, Bing Tang, Hua tel: (+34) 965 074 546 | email: info@azul-homes.co.uk can citizen He and Yue Yuan. www.azul-homes.co.uk and owns a

Panda McPandaface

Destination Relaxation

chain of restaurants in the States, and sorted out a vegetable garden when President Barack Obama was in the White House.

He’s also a frequent guest on US TV shows.

Fame

One or two social media respondents suggested that he ought to use his fame to get the Spanish politicians together. The national government unveiled a €382 million regeneration package for the Mar Menor at the start of the month. For years Europe’s largest salt water lagoon has suffered environmental disasters, with thousands of tonnes of dead sea creatures having to be cleared away on several occasions.

THE apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Madonna’s eldest child Lourdes Leon has proved she has inherited her mum’s star power - and flexibility - as she was announced as the new face of Bimba Y Lola.

Madonna and Carlos Leon’s daughter, 24, who also goes by the name Lola, was seen in a variety of edgy poses for the n e w f a l l c a m paign for the Spanish brand.

3

Material girl

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

VALENCIA is feeling in the pink after landing the Gay Games in 2026.

The prestigious event will bring a welcome boost to the city with 15,000 athletes and more than 100,000 spectators expected.

The city was recognised for its ‘open, egalitarian, diverse and inclusive character’ after beating Munich and Guadalajara, in Mexico, to host the games.

Dubbed the ‘Olympics for the LGTBI+ community’, the games will be the largest sporting event held in the city since the America’s Cup sailing competition, which transformed the marina area.

A city delegation attending the ceremony in Brighton described it as a ‘dream come true’ for Valencia.

“It is an event that will promote Valencia for its equality and diversity and it will help us fight for the promotion of human rights,” said a spokesman.

Quidditch

He added that the city was ‘awaiting visitors with open arms’ and added: “You will discover a diverse, inclusive and sustainable city, a place that adapts to you and works to make you feel safe and comfortable.”

Valencia’s Councillor for Sports and acting mayor, Pilar Bernabe, said the event would be hugely positive for the city, bringing in an expected economic impact of more than €130 million.

Former host cities, including Paris, Amsterdam and Toronto, showed a major boost in tourism when the event was on.

Valencia will take over the torch from Hong Kong where the event will be held next summer, after being postponed by one year because of Covid.

Although the exact dates have yet to be set, the 12th edition will take place over one week during May or June in 2026 when competitions in 30-plus sports will be held.

These include basketball, hockey, soccer, rugby and cycling, but will also include the peculiar Valenciano sports of Pilota and Colpbol as well as novelty games e-sports and Quidditch.

Opinion Page 6

YEAR OF RECKONING

THE demolition of homes built on unapproved land around the Valencia community could begin next year.

Valencia’s new Agency for the Protection of the Territory is taking on 35 people at their Elche headquarters from January.

The department, headed by ex-Lliria mayor Manuel Civera, will enforce land laws and prevent new infractions by ‘working closely’ with local councils.

Demolition threat for thousands of ‘irregular’ homes O ANDALUCÍA

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- June ess.es June 2nd

15th 2021

17 demolition of his British expat faces a spell in prison - in year home - and sial Priors case repeat of controver

EXCLUSIVE

By Dilip Kuner

prison for failAN expat is facing his home after he ing to demolish hall’s ‘laissez fell foul of a town faire’ planning rules. aged 67, only Gurney Davey, the six-month found out about court document sentence when a a neighbour’s was delivered to house.

Tolox town hall “I went straight to me I shouldn’t with it. They toldyet,” he told the have received it Olive Press. were going to be “They said they to me notification sending the it.” once they had stamped as a massive bolt The news came Davey, whose from the blue for died of cancer, wife has just worsened from which he believes case. the stress of the told about the He had never been on from court case that followed denuncia for an a Guardia Civil ‘illegal build’. home - built in Davey’s two-bednever have been 2004 - should to the Malaga built according court.

Legalise

again in 2017, In 2016, and then to knock Davey was ordered but, in common down his house, he waited for with a neighbour,

more details. neighbour, While his Spanish did eventually Irene Millan, 29, court again, she hear from the to ‘legalise’ was given six months an option Davey six months jail her property house and faces to do. was never given. down his own apparthe smart thing try to forced to knock However, his neighbour’s Manzanares, told “Why would we deliberately sense Davey is being into a poifrom legal firm Expat Gurney makes no permission in April. ent good luck turned DEMOLITION: build illegally? It at the age of 71, them that planning soned chalice. on the cancer, had done every- would be applied for as an alma- that we would sell up everything with the whose name was “We thought we got Having spent €20,000 and risk it all.” are to sentenced to six thing right at the time. We a cen - or ‘warehouse’. the dwelling, lan, the in the UK thoughts deeds, was also of town hall to legalise went through would come under Now Davey’s first refused to accept months jail and handed a fine legal advice andto get permission This way it the court finally town hall, which avoid serving the jail sentence. provided by in order remit of Tolox is trying to and later €6 a day for a year. the new paperwork he is set to lawyer give permission He said: “My lawyer to build the home.

Now Davey is terrified cancer for wouldcould ‘legalise’ the property. the council. sentence suspended.” was ordered - lose his home at any moment. letter, get the “Diana fought breast - I they Instead, demolitionlast week. months since six years before bowel cancer the The language of one legal It comes just two Press, suggests bowel which went ahead am sure Flatten to injury Irene’s his wife Diana died from seen by the Olive To add insult stress brought this would be a mere formality.

Manuel Milhe has been 54-year-old father, never got legal- In the meantime town hall for it on.” property the couple, But forced to ask the own The ised. the permission to knock his originally from In fact, the Tolox mayor of Suffolk in the time, Juan Vera, has since beena property down. borrow part in do it myself. I will spent UK, and fined for his350 prop- “I will from someone and flatten ALL AREAS COVERED jailed 0 0 0 , to 0 JCB 5 I a up €1 scheme to allow the past 17 years. building their erties to be built on land classified my home of town hall do it and will not let the money.” property.

4G UNLIMITED as ‘rural’. the “It came as a In most cases he had used ap- charge me more no idea where to INTERNET package - a very same ‘lax’ procedure of to He added: “I’ve But the land is IDEAL FOR plot with a new plying to build an ‘almacen’ the live afterwards.

I can live in a eyes of STREAMING TV still mine - maybe home on it.” try to keep the prying tent.”

Davey admits Junta authorities away. refused to ALSO IPTV, he and his wife “We thought that was the way Tolox Ayuntamiento data protection SATELLITE TV were perhaps things worked in Spain,” said comment, citing laws. naive to follow Davey, a retired builder. got Opinion Page 6 840 the advice of “We went to see a lawyer and tel: (0034) 952 763 See page 5 & 15 om was not their lawyer. info@theskydoctor.c It turns out that lawyer, advice.

The

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city

November 18th - December 1st 2021

The

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SKY + + THE DOCTOR

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834

Agreement

There are an estimated 307,000 ‘irregular’ homes in the Valencia region which are mainly holiday homes or fincas built with the approval of local municipalities.

Some properties face compulsory demolition but any built before August 2014, when a new Valencian land management law came into force, should be safe.

Regional director of Urbanism, Vicente Garcia, insists they will be ‘saved’ as long as owners agree to reduce any adverse impacts on the environment.

It’s not known how many properties fall into the post-2014 category. And no mention has been made as to where and when any demolition notices will to be served.

Many of the these properties had been given building licences by town halls but were not

* O f f e r

v a l i d

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02

By Alex Trelinski

constructed on land zoned for residential development.

In Andalucia, many homes have already been demolished, as reported by the Ol-

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Earlier this year Brit Gurney Davey, aged 67, was forced to knock down his own home in Tolox by court order despite having built it following all the instructions of legal advisors.

BIG LIGHT UP ALICANTE’S big Christmas light switch-on takes place tonight.

Over two million LED lights have been installed around city centre squares and streets.

Nearly 100 roads have been adorned with 780 lit arches, at a cost of €343,000.

The traditional 18-metre-tall Christmas tree will be switched on at 7pm by mayor Luis Barcala. The tree has been moved to a new location at the start of La Explanada in front of the Canalejas monument.

Luis Barcala said: “The investment in the lights will help bring in visitors to support our hospitality and commercial businesses.”

Going up, up and away OVER a million passengers used Alicante airport in October - the first time the million mark has been passed in 20 months.

A total of 1,070,617 people flew last month compared to just 241,178 last year.

Some 935,581 of last month’s travellers were foreign.

The overall total is still half-a-million down on the October 2019 total, six months before the pandemic began.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

A CHURCH service called to commemorate former dictator General Franco and the nationalist victims of the Spanish Civil War has been scrapped.

The special mass at Alicante’s San Nicolas Cathedral had been called to remember ‘those who fell for God and for Spain’ during the war in the 1930s.

However it had to be cancelled when it became clear that worshippers were only remembering those who died on the fascist side.

Scrapped

The service, scheduled for today, had been called specifically by ‘a 15-strong’ group of locals.

However it was scrapped when a promotional poster was denounced for featuring photos of dictators Francisco Franco and his hero Miguel Primo de Rivera.

The flyer (right) had been

AWARD: For jailed mayor Pedro Hernandez

5

No pasaran!

Cathedral service called off after fascist imagery was used on a flyer

By Alex Trelinski

widely distributed via social media and handed out around the city, causing considerable local outrage and threats of legal action.

San Nicolas priest, Ramon Egio, quickly made the decision to cancel the mass this week, insisting it was ‘not meant to be a tribute to anyone specific’.

“Of course, I cannot prevent anyone from praying for all of the fallen, but this was not acceptable,” he said.

He admitted he hadn’t asked ‘for political membership cards’ from the people who had asked for the mass, but he was pleased he realised in

time to cancel.

“The vision of the Church is to unite and not to divide,” he insisted.

The Valencian government

DISGRACEFUL 2

DISGRACEFUL 1 IT has been described as the ‘worse case of neglect in years’.

But thankfully this skeletal horse has been picked up in Almoradi by the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre.

It came after the expat charity responded to an emergency call from the local authorities.

“He has a heart murmur, neurological problems which could be due to malnutrition and his feet and teeth are in a terrible state,” said centre boss Sue Weeding.

A veterinary report will be issued to the police who have promised to take further action.

November 18th - December 1st 2021

A DISGRACED former mayor jailed over a €100 million corruption case is to be handed a top award.

The bizarre decision to give Torrevieja’s Diego Ramirez Pastor award to Pedro Hernandez comes after he was jailed for three years in 2012.

He will be handed the gong despite being found guilty of perverting the course of justice and forging documents over a giant refuse contract awarded to Torrevieja in 2004.

The former PP mayor, 73, was fi-

nally jailed after a judge branded his scheme as a ‘masterpiece of deception’.

He is also still awaiting trial in a case involving the purchase of a property for €180,000, which he sold for €5million soon after.

But despite his chequered past, Torrevieja council has decided to ‘recognise his contributions to the community’ with the award.

The awards were introduced in 1970 in tribute to Torrevieja journalist, Diego Ramirez Pastor.

has now confirmed it is writing to councils and church leaders to remind them about possible sanctions if the Democratic Memory law is not complied with.

The law bans any public representation and celebration of General Franco.

Minister Rosa Perez Garijo insisted it would have been ‘an outrage’ for the mass to go ahead.

“It would be a violation of the law and an insult to victims,” she said.

A traditional anniversary church service at the Valley of the Fallen where Franco had originally been buried in 1975 has been banned for years.

His body was exhumed two years ago and moved to a small chapel, near Madrid.

6

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

OPINION WHAT A GAY DAY! Says Olive Press writer, Alex Trelinsky IT’S great news that Valencia is to host the Gay Games in 2026, which were first staged in San Francisco back in 1982.

They were created to allow openly gay athletes to compete without prejudice, but 40 years on, it is astonishing how few LGBTQ competitors there are on the major sporting stage.

Equality has come on leaps and bounds but when Aussie soccer player Josh Cavallo came out as gay last month, he was the only current male professional footballer in the world to do so! There’s loads of work to be done on that score but being gay myself, I’m pleased that Spain and Valencia will be holding the event.

To me, it’s an acknowledgement of how good Spain has been in supporting gay and lesbian rights down the years.

The country was one of Europe’s first to allow samesex civil unions, despite its staunch Catholic background.

There are so many Gay Pride festivals here and in my 13 years living here as a gay man, I genuinely haven’t faced even the slightest prejudice from a Spaniard.

It just hasn’t been an issue compared to nervous moments with my partner waiting inside a packed UK taxi office, crammed full of drunks staring at us as if we had committed a capital offence.

I’ve not encountered that attitude here with the only rare instances coming from a very tiny handful of inebriated British expats or holiday-makers (all elderly I should add).

In contrast, Spanish kindness was exhibited about six years ago when my partner was punched in the face by a group of non-Spaniards/non-Brits on holiday in my area.

It was a hate crime and the Policia Local and Guardia Civil could not have been more caring.

We may have struck lucky with these kind officers, but their attitude typified my sense of the Spanish take on gay people.

I suspect and know that Valencia will roll out a very warm gay welcome come 2026.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Fiona Govan fiona@theolivepress.es

Kirsty McKenzie kirsty@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Simon Wade simon@theolivepress.es

Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es

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Rob Kiteley rob@theolivepress.es

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THE CASE THAT GRIPS A NATION

M

ENTION the Rocio Wanninkhof case around Spain and expect plenty of raised eyebrows. Everyone has an opinion on the murder of the attractive half-Spanish, half-Dutch teenager on the Costa del Sol in 1999.

But while it is still transfixing the nation two decades on, today it has gone stratospheric, after the launch of two high-profile documentaries in recent months.

Both Netflix and HBO have released programmes on the case, in particular focusing on the involvement of the former lesbian lover of Rocio’s mother.

It makes for gripping TV, studying Dolores Vazquez’ alleged motives and alibis, as well as her potential links to the eventual convicted murderer, a British barman called Tony King.

The HBO series ‘Dolores. The truth about the Wanninkhof case’, in particular, goes deep in a six-parter, which sets up as being a study of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Spanish history.

But is it really? And what exactly were Dolores’ connections to Tony King and his sidekick, timeshare tout Robbie Graham, who has literally vanished into thin air?

I spent a year studying the case, before publishing a book on it in 2004 called Costa Killer.

My interest began after another teenage girl, Sonia Carabantes, was murdered during a feria in Coin, in inland Malaga, in 2003.

There were definite similarities between the killing and that of Rocio’s, in nearby Mijas, four years earlier, and for a month that summer it was hardly out of the news in Spain.

But when the DNA of a British expat, working in nearby Alhaurin, was found to have been at both crime scenes, it was like dynamite. Bang. Suddenly the story went global.

A British sex offender, a Spanish lesbian and a mysterious mafia subplot... it’s no surprise the death of Rocio Wanninkhof in 1999 is still fascinating armchair sleuths, writes Olive Press editor Jon Clarke, who wrote a book on the case

INNOCENT VICTIMS: Rocio and Sonia (right)

I had only just moved to Spain tracked him down and warned from the UK and found myself the Spanish counterparts of his working around the clock to track past, but inexplicably he was nevdown and speak to all the key er extradited home to face other players. charges.

I started with King’s acquaintanc- The Wanninkhof case had begun es in Alhaurin (among them his on October 9, 1999, in La Cala former workmates at the Bowers de Mijas, when 19-year-old RoArms as well as an ex-flatmate, a cio had been slayed on her way Danish girl) and eventually ended home. up interviewing his wife and fami- She had vanished some 500 mely back home in London. tres from her boyfriend’s house, The fact he had at around 10pm, moved to Spain her violent stabhaving changed bing leaving an She had his name by ominous series vanished 500 deed poll from of blood stains Tony Bromwich on waste ground, metres from - aka the Holloas well as drag way Strangler, in her boyfriend’s marks and nearby the UK, for half tyre tracks. house a dozen vicious It led to one of attacks on womthe biggest puben in the 1980s lic searches in - only made the case more super- Spain’s history, until her body charged. turned up, apparently sexually asIncredibly, he had easily im- saulted, on waste ground in Los mersed himself into a new life on Rodeos, between Puerto Banus the Costa del Sol, despite actually and San Pedro, on November 2. appearing on UK TV programme But it wasn’t just any bit of overCrimewatch over a separate rape grown land. Just 100 metres from case the week he left for Spain, the busy N-340 motorway, it was in 1997. beside a tennis club, which two of The British authorities had even Rocio’s uncles, Juan and Serafin Hornos, had been set to rent, potentially to run as a brothel, a source told me.

Next to her body were several rubbish bags with her personal belongings, clothes and oddly, a flyer handed out in a previous search for the body. There was also a cigarette butt, while fingerprints on one of the bags allegedly matched those of Serafin Hornos, although this is much contested.

Either way, surely it was no coincidence that a random sex attacker would have driven her body 33kms up the motorway to this specific spot, when he could have headed a few kilometres inland to the mountains in Mijas.

The police however, did not know of this connection and initially interrogated Rocio’s boyfriend Toni, before focusing their attention on the former lesbian lover of her mother Alicia Hornos. You couldn’t make it up.

Enter Maria Dolores Vazquez CONTRADICTIONS: Alicia (right) still believes Dolores (left) is guilty Mosquera. Born in Galicia but

raised in England, she managed the Sultan Hotel, in Marbella, and allegedly had a ‘short temper’ and ‘practiced martial arts’.

She became the prime suspect, largely due to the claims of Rocio’s mother, who has always insisted she had threatened her family in the weeks leading up to her death and claimed she had concrete motives to kill her daughter.

She told police (and the media) their split had been very acrimonious leading to Dolores calling her late at night and her daughter even hiding when she saw her car or heard her talking.

Rocio’s younger sister Rosa Blanca, added that Dolores was ‘a compulsive liar’ and ‘full of contradictions’. “In the last year before Rocio’s death she also became very aggressive,” she said in one interview. “All the evidence points to her,” she added.

The Guardia Civil followed suit and tapped her phone as well as sending a female agent to get close to her friends and acquaintances, building up a picture of her as being ‘cold, calculating and aggressive’.

In the end detectives had around 30 separate bits of evidence pointing at Dolores, who insisted she had not gone out that night and had been looking after her mother and her niece’s daughter.

She also insisted she had made some calls from her home, which were proven by her phone bill, although they were at 8.30pm and later after 10pm, leaving a window to have committed the crime.

And there were numerous other discrepancies, which the HBO documentary did not ignore.

These include LED AWAY: Robbie Graha her later ad-

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mittance that she might have, after all, gone out evening stroll. It was claimed she that evening to buy cigarettes… had been carrying a knife and and her inability to explain how a stabbed her, after firstly slapping car, a red Celica, identical to hers, or punching her in the face, givwas seen with two men inside it ing her a nosebleed. very close to the murder location Later, with the help of others, she that evening. returned to the scene at around Despite the lack of concrete ev2am to pick up the body, put it in idence, specifically the murder the car, and, after several days, weapon or DNA, public opinion, subsequently moved it to Marfuelled by the press and, in parbella. ticular, TV, was already condemnBut police could match none ing her as guilty. of the fingerprints at the crime When her cleaner, an expat Russcene to her and various fibres sian called Tatiana, came forfound on the body did not match ward to say she had stabbed a her clothing. poster of Rocio with a knife in her While she was sentenced to 15 kitchen, shouting ‘problem, probyears for the murder in 2001, lem’ the die was seemingly cast. she was let out of prison when The jury certainly agreed, with police discovered that biological six out of nine condemning her, remains under the fingernails although a retrial was later orof murdered Sonia matched the dered. cigarette butt Dolores and her found next to Rolawyer claimed They ruled ‘that cio’s body. it was a ‘biased, I have no doubt he did not act that Tony King popular jury’ with the prosecution involved in alone’ and had was merely focusing the murder, after on deconstructing the help of an his estranged her as a person wife Cecilia went accomplice without providing to the police in evidence to in2003 recalling criminate her. the night Rocio The prosecution insisted she had had died and how he had acted stabbed Rocio after an ‘unconstrangely. trollable burst of anger’ when She told me in an exclusive inshe met her out while having an terview, how he had come in late at night, had a shower, and gone out again, taking his old clothes with him.

And again when Sonia died, she and her new partner David Cooze, had seen Tony with suspicious scratches on his hand and a broken car light.

Police acquired his DNA from a glass and he eventually confessed to the crimes in addition to other assaults committed around Malaga and even as far away as Granada (in particular in Motril).

But King - who had been imprisoned in the UK for five vicious sex attacks by strangulation in 1986 - always insisted that Rocio was killed alongside his friend (and boss) Robbie Graham and Dolores.

He claimed Dolores was an acam, who was later released quaintance of Graham, a time-

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EVIL: But King was also a family man with ex-wife Cecilia

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S share salesman with previous convictions in the UK. He said Rocio had been seized by the trio and was to be ‘given a warning’ over her relationship with Dolores, which ended up going too far.

It might explain why a bloodstained tissue was found near the scene of her death, suggesting she had been given it to dab her nosebleed by someone who knew her well.

While a jury unanimously found King guilty of the murders in 2006, they ruled definitely that he ‘did not act alone’ and ‘must have had’ the help of accomplices.

There are questions, in particular, over Graham, who was brought in for questioning, but eventually let out to vanish and never to resurface again. He had been King’s boss at the timeshare company Lubina Sol, in Riviera, where coincidentally Rocio’s mother Alicia cleaned.

Many people told me that King was Graham’s ‘clumper’ or hired heavy and he had a very strong spell over him. The pair had met in prison in the UK, I believe, and Graham had an unhealthy relationship with women.

The pair got up to a lot of bad things together, King’s ex-wife Cecilia told me.

The HBO documentary briefly dwells on this and wonders whether all three could have been involved.

While Dolores completely denies it and she has since been exonerated by the state, her ex-lover Alicia is still convinced she was involved.

In one dramatic part of the documentary Rocio’s mother tells how Dolores had a very bad temper and even saw her throw her own mother to the floor and ‘dragged her by the hair’. To which Dolores replies: “If Alicia says I hit my mother that is totally unforgivable. I would have hit Alicia if she had touched my mother.”

Such violent dialogue, but as Alicia later points out, King was a strangler of women, not a knifeman.

Either way, for me, it definitely doesn’t quite add up. The body being taken 33 kilometres up the motorway, the bizarre links to the Hornos family, the many contradictions of Dolores.

It is one of the reasons the Rocio case and that of the Costa Killer will certainly never be forgotten.

INCE the rise of the internet, publishers have struggled with the thorny issue of how to pay for their content, which for years has been handed out free.

But now the tide has finally turned over the payment for news.

The simple truth is that quality costs. Trained journalists need to be employed. And in our case, unlike other online publications, sub-editors are needed to check the copy.

With Google and Facebook sucking up 90% of global advertising revenue, another path away from relying on ads needed to be sought.

Publishers the world over, from the New York Times, to The Telegraph and The Times decided the way forward was to charge for the ir content.

Here in Spain it is also seen as the way forward, with all the big media groups adopting paywalls, from giants like El Mundo to local publications such as Diario Sur. The Olive Press joined them a year ago. And now with more than 30,000 subscribers we are definitely on the right track.

With hundreds more signing up each month, it is gratifying to know that readers share our obsession with quality.

After all, for less than 14 cents a day - or €1.50 a week - readers can join our online revolution.

And with our current half price special offer until the end of the year readers can help us keep real journalism alive and flourishing in a world of fake news.

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

LETTERS

OVER TO YOU...

Sunshine solution Dear Olive Press,

d to make BRITISH travellers now nee are being sure that their passports leaving stamped when entering and Mallorca. a stay of This is because, since Brexit, wed. This only 90 days in 180 days is allo e owners will alarm many second homfrom buyon the island and deter others ing and investing tish visitors Given the importance of Bri in, could Spa of t res the and ca llor Ma to ion to ept exc an nt gra not s itie the author s? stay ger lon w this rule and allo is another A country that has done this grants anos bad Bar nd. isla e shin sun return for nual stay visas to visitors in a modest fee. ca could Is this a measure that Mallor visitors are stay g Lon ? ring offe r side con g louts that not the undesirable drinkin visit the island. nd being They spend money on the isla and dining, ing win rd affo to able l wel other exentertainment, shopping and tors will visi se the ing penses. Deterr y. damage the island’s econom

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November 18th - December 1st 2021 A

Good work!

S

errania de Ronda FUNDADA EN 2017

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es

November 2021

I JUST wanted to compliment you on your newspaper which I picked up at the Municipal Tourist Office in Ronda.

I had been staying in Gaucin with three Belgian friends making day trips to Este- I pona, Cadiz, Casares, Ubrique and Cortes - so your 20-page ‘All about Serrania de Ronda’ special came as a great and informative plus.

Keep up the good work and I’ll hunt your newspaper down the next time I visit!

MOORISH

JON CLARKE waxes lyrical where the sense of history about his hometown of Ronda, is only matched by its soaring mountain scenery and (almost) its food T’S

one hundred metres, ralling steps, to reach theand 300 slippery spi- collected water during tunnel of the Casa del Reybottom of the siege dark days of the end of the regular sieges in the the Moro.

One of various escape just over 500 years ago. Kingdom of Granada siege, there is no better routes during times of On a cultural holiday to explore the days of Al-Anfascinating historical past. reminder of Ronda’s daluz, she and her daughters spent a day wanA must-visit, alongside the dering around the gem the 13th century House nearby Arabic baths, than an hour inland fromof a town that sits less of the Moorish King was the Costa del Sol. a highlight of Michelle Obama’s Having visited the charming visit to Andalu- the Palacio Arabic gardens of cia a decade ago.

Mondragon and the town’s iconic America’s former first bullring - Spain’s oldest - she decided to undershe wanted to witness lady had insisted that take some exercise. bic defenders took and first-hand how the Arareceived messages and Continues on Page 2

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1 Shows up (5) 4 Emotional stresses (7) 8 Chilean President ousted in a 1973 coup (7) 9 American friend (5) 10 Speck (4) 11 Casablanca citizen (8) 13 One of them might be 4 Down (5,6) 16 Cradle to grave (8) 17 Disorderly stack (4) 19 Kismet (5) 20 Like traditional Catholic Masses (2,5) 21 “Now you listen to me ...” (3,4) 22 It may become toast (5)

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BEFORE COVID-19 shops like Mercadona and CarDOES anyone know of a forum in regard to the cusrefour had a weekend in November when voluntoms duties being charged on parcels from the UK? Why choose Avalon? teers were at the entrance receiving from would like to 26 disagree with Established for over years with more than this extra Arranginggoods a funeral in CyprusI can be very much customers to be handed to the poor. charge, having85,000 thiscustomers morning had to pay a charge complicated.

Finddon’t out how to My husband and I want to contribute but we ofmake €11 onitasimple parcel a friend who had paid postVotedfrom Best Funeral Plan Provider at the Personal for twoof consecutive years know if and when this might beWith happening this year. age of £14 and Finance givenAwards details the contents of small language barriers, unfamiliar procedures and unexpected costs, Please advise us. value.

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ll about

Issue 381

PERHAPS the Olive Press could give a warning about the fraud that seems to take place when selling items on Facebook Marketplace.

I placed an item for sale and in no time got a buyer. It seemed to be too good to be true - and it turns out it was.

The next thing I knew is I got an email purporting to be from ‘DHL’ asking me to send lots of personal info and a photocopy of my bankcard on both sides!

Edgley, UK We are Avalon - theKatie most trusted expat I spoke to a person at DHL and they confirmed funeral plan provider. that they had not sent that email and I was the Editor’s note: Thanks for the compliment Kate! It is Arranging abroad be overwhelming. us by your second persona funeral reporting a can similar case that But with Arranging funeral abroad can be complicated, withof always nice to hear that theahard work and talent language barriers and unfamiliar procedures. An morning. side, you can simply get on with enjoying every day in the sun. our staff is appreciated.

Dr Mohsen Ebeid (By email)

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Vol. 15

Pictures by Jon Clarke

8

1 Cold and damp (6) 2 Armed intervention (8,5) 3 Transgressions (4) 4 Ultimate performance indicator (3,6,4) 5 Smokies’ Scottish home (8) 6 Surgery (7,6) 7 Saw (6) 12 Tyro (8) 14 Ask elf about chips (6) 15 Went into business (6) 18 Smooth-talking (4)

All solutions are on page 20

10

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November 18th - December 1st 2021

Real change

Activists stage nonviolent protests to warn of failings of COP26 ACTIVISTS in Valencia have staged a weekend protest calling for action after what they branded the ‘failure of COP26’ to initiate real change.

Dozens joined the weekend camp where workshops were held on how to stage nonviolent action and demand greater environmental justice.

Among plans for the city is the ‘CityPort Commission’ which is protesting against Valencia’s port enlargement project.

The group believes it poses a huge environmental threat to the city.

“The expansion will be irreversible.

We are going to be left without Pinedo beach or the Albufera, but with more global warming and climate change,” said one activist.

The protestors later gathered at Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences complex unveiling the slogan: ‘We take the risk, you don’t. COP26.’

Greenpeace’s Fernando Fernandez said: “We are mobilising with greater urgency to demand social and environmental justice.”

GREEN

Spain opted out of a COP26 deal to put an end to the manufacture and sale of polluting cars by 2035.

The government of Pedro Sanchez was not among the 38 nations who signed the agreement to ban sales of both petrol and diesel cars within 14 years,

COPted out

although the region of Catalunya and its capital Barcelona both pledged to do so.

Spain insisted it already had its own measures in place with plans to prohibit the sale of new vehicles with combus tion engines by 2040.

Martin Tye explains why Self interest and endless political manoeuvring leads to failure

U

Lagoon plan A PLAN to revive the polluted Mar Menor lagoon has been unveiled by Spain's Ecological Transition minister, Teresa Ribera. The package features 34 specific measures costing €317 million.

The strategy includes cutting off and dismantling all illegal irrigation systems used by farmers to pump nitrate-laden water into the lagoon. The pollution caused by the systems has caused the death of marine life with dead fish piling up on beaches.

Action

Action will be taken in the Campo de Cartagena to review all permits given to wastewater discharges and a greater control of all farming involving livestock. Ribera's plan includes the creation of a green belt to promote a better environment and change farming to ‘sustainable production’.

The aim is to have the green belt in place by 2026.

NLESS you live in a cave, you will be aware that the COP26 (Conference of Parties) has just finished in Glasgow.

Some 197 countries assembled with the aim of bringing climate change under control.

The world is warming because of emissions from fossil fuels used by humans - coal, gas and oil.

Extreme weather events have been scientifically proven to be the result of climate change. Heatwaves, floods, forest fires, coastal erosion to name a few.

Although some significant steps were made amongst the endless political manoeuvring, THEY FAILED. Collectively they agreed to put out half of the fire.

The Paris Agreement of 2015 that the same countries signed up to set a target of limiting temperature increase to 1.5C. Pledges made in Glasgow will see this head to 2.4C. A huge gap. Climate Action Tracker predicts 2.7C by 2100.

The UK’s Met Office warned that a billion people could be affected by fatal heat and humidity if the global temperature rises by more than 2C above pre-industrial levels.

WHY HAVE THEY FAILED? Quite simple...

We live in a SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY. ‘I’ll protect my own backyard, you can suffer in yours.’ The quality of most governments’ plans to limit climate change is very low.

The balloon of optimism that rose pre COP26 is now riddled with holes.

It was never going to be easy. Sacrifice isn’t.

One senior insider said that trying to get the correct outcome is like trying to herd 200 cats.

Let me share with you some of the statements and quotations that emanated from COP26 , along with my interpretations: “A spirit of compromise” Those with, don’t want to go without.

“The dialogue is very far from the concrete call for loss and damage”

WHAT A COP OUT

Wealthy nations once again come up short.

The least developed nations, as reported by SKY: “They were very disappointed, but also willing to move forward with the new plan” Better something than nothing. Wealthy nations intend staying that way. Shame on all of them.

Indian environment minister Bhupender Yadav said: “Developing countries are entitled to the responsible use of fossil fuels” Really?!? There is nothing responsible about using fossil fuels.

“There is surprise that fossil fuels are mentioned in the agreement” Really?!? How can you avoid talking about and dealing with this elephant in the room?

Simple. Nations with extensive reserves of fossil fuels like Russia and Saudi Arabia want to keep exploiting them regardless of the impact on our environment.

“Moment of Truth” You can say that again! We all know that is true.The problem is getting immediate corrective action.

“We must come together” Great quote from Alok Sharma (who did a good job as host). Clearly insufficient nations did come together.

“Some countries are still wanting to have a discussion and resolve issues” Some countries haven’t got what they wanted and haven’t made sufficient commitment.

“Australia has been accused of hiding” True, it has. It is one of a few countries that does not agree to return to the negotiating table next year with

Green Matters

By Martin Tye

HARD WORK: Alok Sharma organised the event stronger commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Selfish Aussies!! Led by the seemingly ambivalent and irresponsible prime minister, Scott Morison who didn’t want to be there. He’s not alone. Brazil, Russia and Saudi Arabia are equally guilty.

“Commitments should take into account different national circumstances” This is a bit like the Monopoly ‘Get out of Jail’ card.

So, if it doesn’t suit there is no real commitment.

We’ll carry on pushing down the road necessary actions that need doing now.

The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Gutterres, did get it right…

“Our fragile planet is hanging on by a thread.

We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe” I find it painful that the diplomatic efforts have once again failed to properly confront the scale of this crisis. The world remains off target.

On a lighter note , one quotation from Saturday was bang on…

“COP26 will finish today” It had to. A bunch of private jets were waiting to take off.

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy.

Call +34 638145664 or Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es

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DOUBLE BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

WE MADE IT! Olive Press’ Valencia and Costa Blanca south editions - our fifth and sixth - reached landmark anniversaries in November despite the COVID crisis

The

OLIVE PRESS

s of fish HORRIFIC: Million

died

Demands for €80m flood aid

tember. ent in Madrid He told the governm vital to prethis week that it is also which was serve the Mar Menor, Gota Fria. badly hit by the so-called led to the The week of heavy rain and the dedeaths of millions of fish homes. struction of dozens of needed to He insisted future floods Continues on Page

10

Right turn

expat

voice in in

Spa / MURCIA COSTA BLANCA SUR 2019 er 7th - November 20th,

VANISHED!

FREE

demanded A VEGA Baja mayor has the devastated €80m in flood aid for Murcia region.

Mario Perez Los Alcazares leader flood retenCervera insisted a majorimplemented tion project should be sort of seriurgently to prevent the d in Sepous flooding that happene

Your

olivepress.es Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.the

Novemb

Duty of care claims after missing British great-grandfather was allowed to leave police station at 3am in clearly disoriented state EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

Blanca POLICE on the Costa after they have been slammed disorienallowed a confused andandfather tated British great-gr station to walk out of a police alone. into the dead of night er Philip (above), while The family of pension ing anPearce enjoying a drink Airport DISAPPEARED: Philippicture of the pensioner in Alicante Pearce, 68, are demand the last police over swers from Benidormon Septem- (above right) for ther-of-three. rs, why he was released absolutely gut-wrenching of Alicante Transfehas “It’s Owner 3am. where at he ber 10, life after he us as a family, not knowing David McQueen, said every They now fear for hisan alarming he is and why he disappeared. hours five’ to so badly. I spent ‘four g abandoned buildhas been missing for “I just want him home day scourin nities two months. from the miss him so much.” and traveller commu And in a shocking email by the Philip was known to be suffering ings Blanca. the Costa British Consulate, seenthere are from the early signs of demen- around sent my dog out with a Olive Press this week, of duty tia, but was ‘happy and smiling’ “I evencamera to search in every with a GoPro suggestions of a breach corner, but when he left for Alicante bush and in every ,” McQueen partner. of care. found nothing reveals the friend and travelling The official email told police He was having a good holiday we’ve said. clearly had er Levante pension got 130 taxi left his Playa he not remember wherewas until he 5.30pm on September 9 “I’ve years. ‘did he start led who Vox, at drivers he hotel The latest polling suggests he lost was staying’ nor where will increase to buy cigarettes beforetaken to at 4am and finish

by Santiago Abascal, 350-seat parfrom in England. at 2am, but none of his bearings and was its 24 seats in Spain’s the hotels and espolice. liament to 46.

Wallet on, Lee told the Ol- tablishments have also stated Two months The consulate email neither his ive Press a request for ‘a ground seen a sign of PhilFailed gone has carrying dogs’ was Philip ip.” search and sniffer Ciuhas t nor his wallet when while the family are The Meanwhile Albert Rivera’s family passpor ered, to 57 unansw to from stranger answers. dadanos will be reduced he was taken by a spent weeks putVox is set to l sta- left searching for 14. In the 40dB poll alongside the closure on wheth- ting up posters and Benidorm’s Policia Naciona just after “We just need gain 14% of the vote, alive or not,” handing out flyers tion in the Old Town 21.2% and con- er my dad is still PP in second place withcoming first midnight, as CCTV footage said. of his missing father Lee PSOE the and have seats to 91 Benidorm from claiming firms. clear is how “But apartsome drones to look, around with 27.3% and 121 votes.d victory However, what is not with contact details. to leave sent out The PSOE’s predicte to be doing A spokeswoman for with two less and why he was allowedlater. the police don’t seem would see the party last election, the station three hours not an- anything at all.” the British Consulseats than in April’s e for its as scores of British res- ate told the Olive “The police are simply prompting another headach s,” son Lee It comes as he tries to swering our questionOlive Press idents have spent weeks search-- Press it ‘does not leader Pedro Sanchez grandfa Pearce, 41, told the ing for signs of the form a government. last night.

Opinion page 6

to the right A DANGEROUS lurch igrant could see Spain’s anti-imm the kingmakVox party becoming general elecers in this weekend’s tion. the back of The massive surge - off and a fear crisis Catalan the recent party seizof Islam - could see theParliament. ing 15% of the seats inwill seriously The expected gains Ciudadanos, damage centre-right half its seats, which could lose over and left wing PSOE ruling the while to sufPodemos are also expected fer. to ‘defend’ Vox, which has pledged is predictSpain from immigrants, the country’s ed to finish third in in as many fourth general election

- start to stabilise as the global economy finally begins to grow again.

Able to come up for air after an extremely tough start, both papers are beginning to make inroads in their respective local communities.

But they were always going to be well received, being tasked with keeping expats up to speed on all the alarming twists and turns of the coronavirus crisis, plus a lot, lot more.

Our most important remit was to cut through all the fake news - largely thanks to click bait - as COVID-19 took a hold last year.

And we were praised for it, both from politicians around Spain and from the likes of Google, which actually handed us an award for our reporting.

While most businesses battened down the hatches and many temporarily shut, we realised as a newspaper we had to keep going.

Tightening our belts as best we could, we continued to distribute to all the supermarkets, shops and petrol stations that remained open, even during the total lockdown of last Spring.

Supporting businesses as best we could - particularly British ones already strugYou gling from the spectotal tre of Brexit - we doughnut! actually managed what’s out Find to grow by taking eating ood Hollyw Paul on new journalists, on Page 3 among them former Telegraph correspondent Fiona Govan in Madrid.

Thanks to our paywall we found a whole new

al cases’ comment on individu such as Philip’s. spokesman A Policia Nacional had been claimed ‘helicopters’ Philip on for search to ed scrambl . various Benidorm hillsides to answer However, he failed details questions about the exact station or of his release from the and ground whether sniffer dogs d or deploye been searches had would be soon.

Get Have you seen Philip? sk@ in touch at newsde theolivepress.es

audience (thousands of you, in fact) va and Charles Bamber, we continue to prepared to pay for our incisive, quali- grow again as we approach 2022 and ty content that amounts to well over 20 next year should be a strong year for Olstories a day online. ive Press all round.

When we launched in November 2019 Last, but not least, thanks should also fion the Costa Blanca south with a great nally go to our long-term faithful clients, exclusive on a missing British pensioner who have supported us through the in Benidorm on the cover, things looked toughest times in our nearly 16 years of incredibly rosy. existence.

As well as sending a journalist to Madrid In particular Jennifer Cunningham Insurto witness Franco being interred from ance, Mariposa Energy, Linea Directa his Valley of the Fallen mausoleum, in and many more that there isn’t enough that same issue we exposed the millions space to mention here. of euros being raked in by disgraced fi- Here’s to next November. nancial advisor Continental Wealth Management, while many of its investors faced financial ruin.

Our team of reporters Your based in Valencia, Alex expat voic e in Trelinski, Simon Wade and VALE NCIA / COST A AZAH AR Spain FREE Josh Parfitt, made a sterling effort finding excluLOCKDOWN LOCK-IN sive after exclusive until EXCLUSIVE COUNTDOWN TO BREXIT suddenly in March last year the wheels fell off.

Don’t forget But we held it together and as things eased last autumn, we saw another opportunity to open in the wonderful city of Valencia and its nearby area.

Back to Blanca And we haven’t looked back.

The capital of the region has proved to be not just extremely welcoming to our Blueprint sixth edition, but we Palace con have found some solid local clients, such as Swan and Partners, Costa de Valencia, Sensat, THE WORD ON THE STR EETS Palacio de la Bellota and Casa PatacoOh la Lifting the Val na. landing Brexit!

With the guidance of our local agents Tel: 952 147 834 See pages 24 & 11 Daniela 952 147 83Dimitro4

OLIVE PRESS

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AUNCHING businesses in the heart of an economic crisis is not generally recommended.

Opening two? Well. We’ve done our best.

Despite two of the hardest years in recent economic history, our pair of newest editions have reached landmark anniversaries.

While Olive Press Valencia reaches its first birthday, Olive Press Costa Blanca South hits a second happy milestone.

And it’s happy days all round as the two newspapers - our fifth and sixth editions

Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.th eolivepress.es Novemb er 26th - December 9th

The new rules allowing you to drive in Spain until next summer Page 6

UNABLE to have his regular Friday on a cornucop night down the boozer ia during lock- lectibles… and of Emerald Isle coldown, expat Conor Wilde it even has Guinness hit on a on draught. novel idea for this one - to build his “After being cooped own pub! in solitary in March I up like a man The Irish expat, 46, got came up with over and converted his his mates a plan,” the Valencia-based real esinto what he claims is garden shed tate consultant told the Olive Press.

FORGET THE DRAUG Spain’s small- “I had an old HT: Conor est shed in the garden. I watering hole. and pals at makesh got the lads over – Tuejar, ift local Measuring 2.4m by 2.5m, El Galit counts lego & Champ – and we set about

By Eugene Costello

‘sensible’ approach, which has kept the economy running as best as possible.

“Life goes on and we must move forward,” insisted Antonio director of the Turismo Bernabé, Foundation, to the Olive Valencia Press, this week.

“We have struck a good balance be-

How Amy’s guitar-maker lencia won over the worldfrom VaPage 15

A bunch of crooks tried to sell my hotel for a song Page 16

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team getting the message

A TRADE deal between is on the verge of being the EU and Britain EU looked set to cave in finalised, after the An MEP broke ranks to on fishing rights. likely the French would say that it looked mise with Boris Johnsonhave to compro’s demands over UK waters.

Christophe Hansen said the EU would have to meet the UK’s an agreement. "There demands to clinch will be compromises to be made on fisheries. that is somewhere we're The status quo, not going to land,” he told an event.

French fishermen are understo od to have backed the compromise despite losing out on access to certain fishing grounds.

It came after the EU’s chel Barnier demandechief negotiator Mid the need to com-

Is Baqueira really Spain’s top skiing resort?

Page 20

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turning it into Spain’s smallest pub. And if I say so myself, we’ve done a grand job.”

Called El Irlandes, after ite Martin Scorsese film,his favourit happily fits his closest pals in Friday night Blarney. for the usual Wilde, from Skerries, near Dublin, has run the Found Valencia agency for two decades.

Valencia is open!

VALENCIA remains open for visitors, with COVID restrictio ns more relaxed than most other regions, insists tourist chiefs.

The city has been praised by businessmen and tourists alike for its

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By Dilip Kunar

promise in order to get France had previouslyan agreement. back down on any fishingbeen refusing to near-parity to the UK’s deal, demanding It comes as the governorcoastal waters. of the Bank of England warned that a no-deal Brexit would be more economically damaging than COVID to the UK. Andrew Bailey said failure signed would create a massiveto get a deal trade blockage and damage cross-border goodwill between Brussels and the UK for years.

Meanwhile, Ireland leader Micheal Martin said on Monday he was hopeful that a Brexit deal would be complete d this week.

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

21/6/19 13:30

LAUNCH: The team behind the Costa Blanca south

2020

OOPS: We did it again in Valencia

tween keeping life normal and keeping it safe.”

While tourism is down year, the tourist boss 80% on last says all activities, including cinemas and museums, are open.

Best of all, unlike much locals and tourists must of Spain, between midnight and only stay in 6am.

“It’s a great time to discover the city as there are no queues,” adds Bernabe.

“We take the pandemi but we also believe in c seriously, the right to have a full life.”

Currently few places in the Comunidad face tough restrictio ns due to high infection rates.

The city meanwhile, an activity card calledhas developed Valencia On, an app anyone can downloa d, not just aimed at tourists.

Run by Visit Valencia it offers a huge range of discounts for museums, events, restaurants, transpor t and even hotels. You can find valenciaon.com, and it it at www. is completely free.

Roland Wareham, 55, a director from Andaluc company pressed by how well ia, was imhandling the pandemi the city was c.

On a business trip from his native Mijas this week, he struck by how normal said: “I was life seemed. In Ruzafa, all the bars and restaurants were open, and the crowded with familiesterraces were and friends enjoying the al fresco lifestyle.

“In Andalucia, meanwh restaurants must close ile, bars and my town is like a ghost by 6pm, and town at night.

“Valencia should serve as a blueprint for the rest of Spain.”

Opinion, page 6

Taoiseach Martin said ‘by the end of this week we could see the outlines of a deal’.

He said it would come will, both in the United down to ‘political clear the political will is Kingdom and I’m there from the European Union’.

EU ambassadors were told over the weekend that a trade deal with verge of being finalised. Britain is on the They were told the majority of the 11 main negotiation issues have ‘joint legal texts with fewer and fewer outstand ing points’.

The European commiss ion president, Ursula von der Leyen, struck saying: “After difficult weeksa positive note, slow progress now we have with very, very seen in the last days better progress, more movement on important files. This is good.”

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

The demanded A VEGA Baja mayor has the devastated €80m in flood aid for Murcia region.

Mario Perez Los Alcazares leader flood retenCervera insisted a majorimplemented tion project should be sort of seriurgently to prevent the in Sepous flooding that happened tember. nt in Madrid He told the governme vital to prethis week that it is also which was serve the Mar Menor, Gota Fria. badly hit by the so-called led to the The week of heavy rain and the dedeaths of millions of fish homes. struction of dozens of needed to He insisted future floods

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EXCLUSIVE

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Blanca POLICE on the Costa after they have been slammed disorienallowed a confused and ndfather tated British great-gra station to walk out of a police alone. into the dead of night r Philip (above), while The family of pensione ng anPearce enjoying a drink Airport DISAPPEARED: Philippicture of the pensioner in Alicante Pearce, 68, are demandi the last police over swers from Benidormon Septem- (above right) ree. , ching for ther-of-th why he was released “It’s absolutely gut-wren where Owner of Alicante Transfers he has ber 10, at 3am. life after he us as a family, not knowing David McQueen, said They now fear for hisan alarming he is and why he disappeared. to five’ hours every ‘four for spent I missing badly. been so has ed build“I just want him home day scouring abandon ities two months. from the miss him so much.” and traveller commun And in a shocking email by the Philip was known to be suffering ings the Costa Blanca.

British Consulate, seenthere are from the early signs of demen- around sent my dog out with a Olive Press this week, of duty tia, but was ‘happy and smiling’ “I evencamera to search in every with a GoPro suggestions of a breach corner, but when he left for Alicante bush and in every partner. of care. found nothing,” McQueen reveals the friend and travelling The official email told police He was having a good holiday we’ve said. pensioner had clearly r where he until he left his Playa Levante “I’ve got 130 taxi er 9 years. he ‘did not remembe Vox, led was hotel at 5.30pm on Septemb lost drivers who start he where nor The latest polling suggests he was staying’ will increase to buy cigarettes beforetaken to at 4am and finish

by Santiago Abascal, 350-seat parfrom in England. at 2am, but none of his bearings and was its 24 seats in Spain’s the hotels and espolice. liament to 46.

Wallet on, Lee told the Ol- tablishments have also stated Two months The consulate email neither his ive Press a request for ‘a ground seen a sign of PhilFailed has gone ip.”

Philip was carrying search and sniffer dogs’ Ciuhas nor his wallet when unanswered, while the family are The Meanwhile Albert Rivera’s family passport to 57 from stranger to answers. dadanos will be reduced he was taken by a spent weeks putVox is set to sta- left searching for Nacional whethon Policia ’s 14. In the 40dB poll alongside the closure Benidorm ting up posters and just after “We just need gain 14% of the vote, alive or not,” handing out flyers tion in the Old Town 21.2% and con- er my dad is still PP in second place withcoming first midnight, as CCTV footage of his missing father Lee said.

91 seats and the PSOE claiming to have around Benidorm from firms. apart votes.

“But 121 clear is how with 27.3% and drones to look, details. victory However, what is not to leave sent out some seem to be doing with contactman for The PSOE’s predicted with two less and why he was allowedlater.

A spokeswo the police don’t would see the party last election, the station three hours not an- anything at all.” the British Consulseats than in April’s for its as scores of British res- ate told the Olive “The police are simply prompting another headache s,” son Lee It comes as he tries to swering our questionOlive Press idents have spent weeks search- Press it ‘does not leader Pedro Sanchez grandfaPearce, 41, told the ing for signs of the form a government. last night.

Opinion page 6

to the right A DANGEROUS lurch igrant could see Spain’s anti-imm the kingmakVox party becoming general elecers in this weekend’s tion. the back of The massive surge - off and a fear the recent Catalan crisis party seizof Islam - could see theParliament. ing 15% of the seats inwill seriously The expected gains Ciudadanos, damage centre-right half its seats, which could lose over and left wing while the ruling PSOE to sufPodemos are also expected fer. to ‘defend’ Vox, which has pledged ts, is predictSpain from immigran the country’s ed to finish third in in as many fourth general election

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GENIUS: Adam Broseta adds finishing touches to guitars for the stars in his Ga Gorgos workshop

You total doughnut!

You total doughnut!

FREE SPIRIT: Amy in Alicante (left) while (right) she gets inspired with a CD and a cigarette forgot she owned one of our guitars.” to eat.

In 2012, Adam received a phone call These songs laid the foundation lating his business for its appearance congratuRonson-produced album that was for the Mark Fair feature on Mitch Winehouse’s in a Vanity sensationally new biograreleased in October that year. phy: Amy, My Daughter.

In email correspondence with Guitarras Racing to a petrol station, Adam purchased Bros, Mitch would much later confirm that copy of the monthly magazine, and there the last than 50 guitars’ in Amy’s possession, of ‘more In the article appeared the words: “The it was. the one from the Costa Blanca had became small, Spanish, bought in Guitarras Bros,guitar was her ‘favouin the Alrite’. icante village of Gata de Gorgos.”

After Back to Black’s stellar success, Its purchase happened during the troubled singer’s tortuous relationship a brief holiday in 2006, after with Blake, who she married and Amy had split with lover Blake then divorced, was a period in Fielder-Civil, who had temporariFound with five which ly returned to one of his ex-girlAmy Winehouse spiralled in and out of addictions to alcohol, friends. times the legal heroin As Amy went ‘back to black’, and crack cocaine. drink-drive limit The demonised singer, who wore into her infamous manic deher heart on her tattooed sleeves pression, she was persuaded to of alcohol in her and join her father for the holiday in belted out searing emotion beneath that infamous ‘beehive’, Alicante, where his second wife blood was tragically found dead on July Jane’s family owned a house in 23, 2011. the campo.

She was found with five times the “The only problem was that she’d legal drink-drive limit of alcohol in bring her guitar,” her father’s book forgotten to her blood.

That holiday in Spain, however, marked But after spending ‘hours’ intent oncontinued. a moment of clarity in the tabloid storm in the nearby workshop in Gata de finding one of Amy’s life.

In his official biography, Mitch recalls inspired Amy returned to the house Gorgos, an a period and locked of sobriety in early 2011, writing: “I herself in her room for hours. hadn’t seen her focus like that since those days Emanating from those four walls when she’d locked herself away and in Spain the birth of You Know that I’m NoMitch heard Good, Love lot of Back to Black. “Creating music written a is a Losing Game and Wake Up Alone, est passion - seemed to be doing her - her greatso spellbound she refused to even with Amy more good come down than anything else we’d tried.”

Perhaps it has something to do with the handmade masterpieces at Guitarras Bros: each one has its ‘own soul’ and is a work of art in itself, with centuries-old wood from as far as Madagascar seeing strummers fork out up to €12,000 a piece, with tailor-made rosettes and machine heads.

Or perhaps it has something to do with the agreeable weather, or the tortilla de patatas that Amy loved, according to the Vanity Fair article.

Either way, something magical happened between the walls of that house on the Costa Blanca - the loss of which the world is still coming to terms with these eight ROYAL APPROVAL: Fresh Prince Will long years later.

Smith shows off instrument

SMILING Angelina Jolie put on an Oscar-winning show of calmness as she enjoyed a day out shopping in Spain.

The 44-year-old was all smiles in the Canary Islands, despite having been evacuated from a film set following a bomb scare.

An unexploded device found in sand on the set forced the American star to flee the set in Fuerteventura, where she was filming upcoming Marvel film The Eternals last week.

The Maleficent star was accompanied by three of her children as she was spotted breezing through the streets of the island, famous for its winds.

F nd ou wha s ea ng Pau Ho ywood on Page 3

OLIVE PRESS

EW knew that when the soulful, heart-wrenching vocals of Back to Black hit top-ten charts WHO KNEW?: Winehouse penned a trio of hit songs on the Costa Blanca around the world in 2006, they land town of Gata de Gorgos, where would turn Amy Winehouse into The list of legends who own handthe she found the instrument. first British woman to win five Grammade Guitarras Bros mys, and blossom into the UK’s sec- “My father remembers meeting Amy cludes Ed Sheeran, instrument inWill Smith and ond best-selling album of the 21st pretty well,” Adam Broseta, 33, tells will.i.am. the Olive Press amid the fragrant saw- The Gipsy Kings, century.

Tom Hanks, dust of the Guitarras Bros workshop But even less is known about the in ard Gere and Jeremy Irons haveRichholthe workaday also town. iday in Alicante that birthed three acquired instruments from the workof “It was 2006 and he didn’t have the 13-times Platinum album’s songs a clue shop.

- and saw the purchase of her all-time who she was at the time, but she was In 2006, Amy was ‘just another singfriendly.” ‘favourite’ guitar. er’ in a long line of artists who have Far from being insular and blind Now, on the eve of the anniversary to held a masterpiece of the Valencian of the international music scene, her death on July 23 eight years ago, the guitar-making tradition.

65-year-old family business the Olive Press made a visit to the in- famous around the world. is in fact But today the British singer-songwriter appears appropriately at the top of the list of ‘artists’ who have bought from them on the company’s simple website.

“To me, she’s the Jolie in most important of everyone,” Adam explains in the workshop’s office space, surrounded by posters of many of the world’s musical greats.

“She is a talented, an undeniable legend, and A-LIST: Ed Sheeran (left) and Tom the amazing part Hanks (right) show off their instruments made in Gata de Gorgos is we completely

Blown away not blown up

OPINION

Simply Baleful

Your

DELUGE: Cars swept away in 2019 floods

voice in

RESCUED: Banksy says EU officials are ignoring the mercy mission

NO BULL! Toreros are flying high and NOT killing animals, see page 10

HOW COULD EU? BANKSY has accused European officials of deliberately ignoring distress signals after a refugee rescue boat he financed was left stranded in the Med. The iconic artist hit out after his new mercy vessel, launched from Valencia in August, failed to receive any help when it came close to sinking, overloaded with over 200 refugees.

It came after the ship captain made a distress call after it became marooned due to overloading, with many of the refugees ill and one already dead.

The British street artist took to social media to attack the slow response saying that ‘EU authorities deliberately ignored the pleas from non-Europeans’.

The 31-metre rescue vessel Louise Michel, named after a 19th century French anarchist, set sail in secrecy from Burriana, near Castellon, on August 18.

Its aim is to save refugees making the dangerous sea crossing from North Africa to Europe.

“Like most people who make it in the art world, I bought a yacht to cruise the Med,” Banksy posted online, accompanied by a video of the ship mixed in with footage of people stranded at sea.

Iconic British artist accuses officials of ignoring distress calls from Spanish refugee boat he financed

By Alex Trelinski

“Because EU authorities deliberately ignore distress calls from ’non-Europeans’,” he continued. “All Black Lives Matter.” But within weeks of launching, his ship, estimated to have cost €950,000, it also found itself in trouble off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.

After floundering for hours with 219 refugees on board, Italian coastguards and charity Sea-Watch finally stepped

in to save the day, last week.

A coastguard motor vessel took 49 of the most vulnerable travellers to the island of Lampedusa, while Sea-Watch 4 took the rest to Palermo, where they were eventually given sanctuary.

The Louise Michel is hard to miss, painted bright pink with a trademark Banksy mural on the boat’s hull, depicting a girl in a life vest holding a heart-shaped safety buoy.

It sails under a German flag and is captained by a professional crew of 10 European activists with a ‘flat hierarchy and a vegan diet’. The motor yacht, formerly owned by French customs authorities, is smaller but considerably faster than other NGO rescue vessels. It is capable of reaching speeds of 28 knots. The planning of its latest mission was carried out in secrecy between London, Berlin and Burriana, where the Louise Michel had docked to be equipped for sea rescues.

The crew feared that media attention could compromise their goals.

If word had circulated that a project financed by Banksy would set to sea to rescue migrants, the European authorities could have attempted to thwart the mission. A spokesman for Burriana’s port confirmed that the Louise Michel docked there on June 23 and left on August 18.

Gay

“During this time, they have been repairing and preparing the boat but they did it by themselves, they did not use the port services”, he said.

Referring to Banksy, he added: “If he has been here, he came incognito,” the official said. Burriana, which has 34000 residents is best known for its Arenal music festival each summer.

Locals in the town had no idea what its planned mission was, but they dubbed it ‘Orgullo gay’ or ‘Proud to be gay’.

Our reporters bring you exclusive after exclusive, including this one in October, 2020, about the murder of a young expat who had been attacked before by his eventual killer

OLIVE PRESS COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA www.theolivepress.es

June 3rd - June 16th 2021

Find out about Spain’s 10 capital cities

Who is he?

limbo Expats must stay in Spain in for two years while alleged residency scam is probed by police How one organised community of expats is putting El Raso on the map

EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Wade

EXPATS caught up in a fraud-a ulent residency scam run by gestor on the Costa Blanca have been told by police that they can’t leave the country while the case is investigated. a Dozens of people are facing 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 of expats reported on a group 952 147 834 who had been detained by police over padron certificates that appear to have been doctored by one particular gestor they hired to process their TIE applications.

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

Prime suspect

Tragic mystery

Girl power

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

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

See page 3

See page 6

See page 10

I BEG YOUR PADRON Award Winning Rehabilitation Clinic

Are you feeling depressed?

Addiction problems? www.villaparadisospain.com

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See page 11

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

A GROUP of British expats have been detained by police after their padron certificates proving they lived in Spain appear to have been doctored.

At least eight people have been grilled over the town hall registration forms, which were all handled by the same gestor company on the Costa Blanca.

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.

Fraud

It comes after ‘widespread fraud’ was allegedly detected in over 22 Britons attempting to become resident here.

This week a number of el-

EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Wade

derly expats described the situation as ‘humiliating’ and ‘hellish’, after they were held for questioning under caution.

They told the Olive Press how they were carted to Alicante police station and grilled about falsifying documents submitted with their TIE card applications.

“We were wrongly arrested for submitting fake padrons, even though we put the correct ones in with our paperwork for residencia,” said Jay Elliott, 66, of Orihuela Costa, who has lived in Spain for over five years.

She and her friend Lily Higgins, 71, had planned for a peaceful retirement in the sun but are now living with the threat of a court case or

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 to collect their TIE cards.

“We were taken into a room, read our rights and told to explain why our 2021 padron had been doctored to show a 2020 date - it was hell.”

All those detained had used One Way Services, a gestor based in Quesada, near Torrevieja, to process their applications - including the padron.

Owner Matt Smith insisted

that his is anything but the only gestor business to be dragged into the investigation “Nobody has been arrested, that is a fact,” he insisted, adding: “Other gestors are also being brought in as part of an ongoing investigation into TIE applications.”

A police spokesman told the Olive Press: “All residencia

SCOOP: How the Olive Press broke the story last edition TM

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21/6/19 13:30

One Way Services, about why a doctored certificate had been submitted on their behalf.

Jay travel while Lily Higgins and “Smith said he was only trying told by police that she can’t to help people,” she told the Ol- STUCK: Jane Long (above) has beenafter using One Way Services Grilled ive Press.

Elliott were ‘treated like criminals’ They included 71-year-old wid- “He said he’d already admitted also had ow Lily Higgins and friend Jay his guilt to the police, before Williams, 63, told us he Alicante Elliott, who were grilled over shredding my fake padron in to give a statement at police station last week. their town hall registration front of my eyes” she added. owner, forms, which were handled by He added that she should ‘ex- It involved the propertyfor sevwho has lived in Spain One Way Services. pect a phone call from the police Several more have since come merely to answer a few ques- en years, having his fingerprints taken, as well as getting photoforward to complain about the tions’.

British gestor, in Ciudad Quesa- However, after being taken graphed. told the da, which is at the centre of the away in a police car, held for “It was astonishing,” he told the Olive Press. “I’m now investigation. two hours, fingerprinted and months These include Jane Long of Tor- photographed, she was told by court case could take 18 revieja who was taken to Alican- detectives at the Policia Nacio- to two years, possibly more.” all this te Police Station and questioned nal that she will be considered He continued: “I started became on September 1, but it over her part in ‘an alleged ‘guilty, until proven innocent’. apparent as time went on there fraud’.

Mrs Long despaired: “I was told The 53-year-old said she and I couldn’t even travel back to the was something amiss.

“I feel this can go two ways: I'm her husband Nigel had con- UK because I’m a criminal!” or affronted Matt Smith, owner of T h e found guilty and deported I'm grantK e n t ter possibly two years w o m a n ed residencia.

One Way revealed “I put all my faith into not be held been so let the Guardia ents that they would that the Services and have time for working alongside all res- criminally responsible. now that p o l i c e down, a very stressful others,” he Civil to now investigate “So it is totally clear had in- me and countless idencia applications in Alicante the criminal investigation is bef o r m e d added. made in 2021. ing focused only against my cliher, ‘anThe lawyer later confirmed ent so for sure the fiscal will not Cleared o t h e r to the Olive Press that Smith actions against 4 0 - p l u s When the Olive Press called had made a statement to po- start criminal he affected,” sadly p e o p l e Matt Smith for an explanation lice clearing his clients of any his clients will also he refused to answer questions. knowledge of the alleged fraud. said. any other of ar- “Speak to my lawyer,” he said “My client explained [to the If it emerges that be One Way clients were to be derested.’ police] that none of the clients before hanging up. matter, the law35 years experience • Interior and exterior F e l l o w National Police confirmed to the had produced the applications tained over the Smith will proceed B r i t , Olive Press that detectives are themselves [but] only paid my yer said: “Mr to clarify in front Best quality products used immediately B r i a n client to apply for or/and the court that walls etc the TIE on their of police Special effects, stencilling & feature have no relation at behalf,” David Gui- these clients any criminal activity.”

Fully legal/registered • Full liability insurance jarro Mayor from all with ABC solicitors told been affected?

All works guaranteed the Olive Press in Have you See page 23 contact us on newsresponse to written Please desk@theolivepress.es Contact Michael for a FREE quote questions. sky.com reasto michaelwillis5@ He sought Opinion Page 6 sure One Way cli-

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EXCLUSIVE

See page 12

In yet another Olive Press exclusive in June this year, we exposed how many expats applying for Spanish residency faced legal action after documents were ‘altered’ without their knowledge by their gestors

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 1 Issue 25 www.theolivepr ess.es October 15th - October 28th 2020

DIG DEEP FOR DALI DIPTYCH

AN original, off-the-wall painting of Spain’s most famous artistsby one could fetch up to €11 million at auction today.

The diptych, in art lingo, Couple aux têtes pleines de nuages (1937) depicts the Catalan artist and his wife Gala as framed silhouettes with their heads full of storm clouds.

“It is full of the highly per-

EXCLUSIVE By Simon Wade in Ciudad Quesada

TRAGEDY: Nesbitt above and

right

THE alleged killer of a British expat had been involved in a knife attack same victim in the UK three years on the The Olive Press can reveal that ago. bitt, 21, who was stabbed to Ben NesQuesada on the Costa Blanca, ondeath in 1, was hospitalised when three October men attacked him in 2017.

In the vicious assault in Southport, near Liverpool, he was left lying for dead after being knifed while he was asleep on a sofa. A court at the time was told that his mother thought he was ‘half dead’ when she visited him in hospital.

The man arrested in Girona victed of burglary and stealingwas con£1,600 (€1,780) and jailed for 38 months driving two men to an address in after Southport.

While he stayed in the car, the others one of whom has never been identified- entered the property where they Nesbitt lying on a sofa. One man found was later jailed for six years and - who eight months - stabbed the victim, who, ac-

cording to reports, was only saved from death by the thick clothing he was wearing.

But it would appear that the violent incident was not the end of the matter.

Sources have told the Olive Press that the man detained the day after Nesbitt’s death was one of the three men involved in the 2017 assault.

The man was arrested in Girona by the Guardia Civil as he headed for the French border, which lay just 40 miles away, and was remanded in custody by an investigating judge.

He is being probed over the fatal stabbing of Nesbitt, 21, after a party over 400 miles away on the Costa Blanca.

The victim’s father Michael, told the Olive Press: “I tried to block it all out, hoping that I’d wake up the next mornsecuritasdirect@anantasegur idad.es ing and all of this was just a 611 892 nightmare+34 - but it475 wasn’t.”

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sonal imagery that made Dali perhaps the most exciting Surrealist.

“It reveals his obsession with Freudian psychology as much as his obsession great lover and muse Gala,” said with his lips, Global Head of Bonhams, India Philwhere the auction will take placein London, day. Its most distinctive feature on Thursis a burning giraffe, likely linked to the Spanish which was raging at the time it was Civil War, painted.

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arA PLUCKY policewoman who rested Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner in 2017 says police tried to find a ‘blonde man’ who was with him that night. reViera Vanessa officer Off-duty her veals in a new book how she and colleagues searched the area trying to find the potential accomplice.

It came after she arrested dangerin 44, ous sex offender Brueckner, at a children’s park on the Algarve, 2.15am during a feria.

Familiar

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

Your expat

voice in Spain

Why two Hollywood stars are sparkling in Spain for two very different reasons

September 9th - September 22nd 2021 Vol. 2 Issue 48 www.theolivepress.es

Find out inside

TIED UP AND LEFT TO DIE FREE

Mijas Costa SAN JAVIER

A TODDLER has miraculously escaped injury after falling from a second floor apartment block.

The two-year-old boy had climbed onto a chair on the balcony of the holiday apartment in Benidorm and slipped over the railing and plummeted to the street below.

Luckily his fall was cushioned, firstly by an awning and then by a local man who tried to catch the child.

The holidaymaker appeared to be completely unharmed when police arrived on the scene. It is not known if the passer-by suffered any injury.

The toddler was taken to the Villajoyosa Hospital for a thorough examination to ensure he did not suffer any serious injuries.

Summer escape 2

ICE COOL

I “He looked so familiar and I knew had seen him before,” she revealed in the book, My Search for Madeleine, by Olive Press editor Jon Clarke.

“It was then I realised he hadn’t his come alone and I’d seen him and in friend at one of the bars the square. Other parents also remembered he had been chatting to another tall blonde man,” added Viera (left).

Her grilling of the German came after she was forced to hold off four angry dads of kids he had allegedly flashed at under a slide.

She eventually calmed them down and managed to call in colleagues.

“I asked him where his friend was and he just smiled and wouldn’t say anything. He wouldn’t tell us where he was staying either.”

“We continued: She searched all around for his friend, but it was clear he

OLIVE PRESS

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FINAL ROUND - To the bloody feud that killed 18 people?

See page 6

hospital after mother British family slam controversial ‘handcuffed’ in bed died from infected bed sores while EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Wade

Vol. 2 Issue 47

www.theolivepress.es

Nappy

Continues on Page 2

Summer escape 3

Lucky blast

A RUSSIAN man had a lucky escape when he was blown off his boat after an explosion at Altea's Greenwich Marina.

The 50-year-old was working on the engine when the blast threw him into the water.

A mixture of gases in a confined space is believed to have caused the incident.

expat

August 26th - September 8th 2021

ANIMAL MAGIC SPECIAL Phew! We survived the heatwave with a bit of help from our friends....

See page 3

DISGRACE! British expat mum, 33, sent home to die in agony after being refused treatment after 14 hour wait at A&E A YOUNG British woman died hours after being dismissed by doctors and told to go home after waiting 14 hours at a hospital for treatment.

Rachael Firth, who worked as a livein carer, sought help at Torrevieja’s A&E on August 14, after suffering days of pain.

She was seen by her GP for pain in her legs earlier that week, and was advised to go to the emergency department if the condition worsened.

In regular messages to her mum, she said hospital staff justified making her wait all day because emergencies took priority.

After seven hours of waiting in agony with her leg swollen to twice its size, the 33-year-old eventually saw a female doctor.

However, she felt her condition was not taken seriously, and insisted the doctor dismissed her after seeing medical notes that mentioned previous treatments for mental illness.

In a message to her mother, Jane, a nurse h e r self, she wrote: “ T h e doctor was really nasty,

EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Wade

said she’s read my notes and I’m mental in the head.”

She said the doctor had told nurses that once she had her X-ray to ‘get her to a taxi and get her home’.

In a later message (see right) she added: “The other two nurses were well shocked”.

Referring to the doctor, she added: “She hates me.”

The part-time charity volunteer stayed on the ward despite the bad feeling in the desperate hope that someone would eventually attend to her leg.

Embolism

TRAGEDY: Rachael pictured with mum Jane

FLASHBACK: Our last issue Exhausted, she was eventually sent home at 3am, after 14 agonising hours in the hospital.

Later that morning, her mother - who has 35 years nursing experience - realised something was gravely wrong and rushed to the nearest pharmacy for medication and advice.

But by the time she returned, Rachael had slipped into unconsciousness and was completely unresponsive.

Nippy dip

AN ELDERLY expat was ‘handled cuffed’ to a hospital bed which to a ‘humiliating and agonising death’, claim her family.

Kathleen Marshall, who was displaying the early signs of dementia, was admitted into Torrevieja hospital for treatment for dehydration.the But when relatives went to visit 73-year-old British resident, who had lived in Spain for more than to two decades, they were shocked find her restrained in a bed.

They found her also wearing a nappy, despite the fact that she was ‘able to use’ the toilet and wash herself.

Son George, who lives in San Mian guel de Salinas, has failed to get explanation over what he insists was “humiliating treatment”. e H claims that be-

QUICK-thinking lifeguards have saved a baby from choking to death on an ice cube.

The one-year-old girl was licking it to keep cool on a Santa Pola beach when she swallowed it and it got stuck in her windpipe.

Despite the baby’s pulse stopping, the two Cruz Roja lifeguards used the Heimlich manoeuvre to get it out and then revived the youngster.

A doctor later confirmed that the baby was fine, although her mother needed treatment for shock.

Your

voice in Spain

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

Summer escape 1

Good catch

CONTACT +34 711 00 49 70 – howieuk99@googlemail.com

A WOMAN had to go to hospital after a fish bit her foot at El Pinet beach in La Marina.

Beach-goers initially believed it was from a blue shark after a recent sighting in Benidorm.

But it turned out to be a bite from a member of the Golfar fish family, which has sharp teeth.

Jane performed CPR while neighbours called for an ambulance but Rachael died on the floor of the lounge with paramedics also unable to revive her.

A Spanish neighbour confirmed to Jane that the ambulance staff told him that ‘an embolism was certainly to blame’, after assessing her symptoms.

Rachael’s own son, Reece, 13, had thankfully been staying with friends that night so did not witness his mother’s death.

The family is now looking for answers as to why medics failed to take Rachael’s illness seriously and to provide treatment that could have saved her life.

Jane has sought legal advice, with a view to preventing such a tragedy happening to someone else.

Animal

“The way my daughter was treated in her final hours is nothing short of disgusting - you wouldn’t treat an animal that way,” she sobbed. “Money isn’t the issue, what difference would it make anyway?

“I just want justice for Rachael and I want answers to the questions we have about her awful treatment -

this shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

Rachael was cremated at Torrevieja crematorium last week with dozens of friends, family and colleagues in attendance.

Kind neighbours had helped towards the expensive funeral costs at short notice.

If Olive Press readers would like to help the family, there is also a gofundme page to help.

Opinion Page 6

confirm what painkillers had been administered.

He was given the reply: “Oh, do you think she needs some?”

A hastily-arranged morphine treatment left Kathleen incredibly nauseous, but allegedly staff hadn’t noticed that constant vomiting had dislodged her feeding pipe. diConsequently, fluids were fed derectly into her lungs, and she a veloped respiratory problems as

result.

After two agonising weeks, Kathleen was sent home, but it soon transpired she had septicaemia from what had developed into ‘Stage 4 bedsores’.

A return to the same hospital sawa a bed at Torrevieja hospital (below) her die within a week, less than TRAGIC: Kathleen was tied to being re- month after being first admitted for po- expat who had died after ing forced to stay in the same de- fused treatment at the same hospi- a simple rehydration treatment. sition in bed, led to his mum is definitely in a better place (see story, top right). tal became which sores in “Mumbut her passing should have veloping bed Mother Rachael Firth, 33, died em- now, a dignified affair with her infected. suspected a of home at agony been say They hospital family by her side, not alone and the situa- bolism, after Torrevieja waited in agony up until her final breath,” was sent her home after she had tion treatment. get to George. day full a continued worse made criticism of the as she was In more damning Marshall family left to lie in public hospital, the Neglect emersoiled bed- claim staff had disconnected His mother’s death certificate mengency help buttons on the ward. clothes. cries reasons for her passignored three they tioned that added The alleged They patients and ing: respiratory problems, demenm i s t r e a t - for help from manyphones.” the ulcer. ment comes were “never off their in the UK, it tia and family is convinced that KathThe happened this “If weeks just but leen suffered ‘criminal neglect’ and the would be considered nothing after told 51, may have suffered in others Marshall, believe Olive Press abuse,” George way. week. r e p o r t e d the Olive Press, this his mum - who a similar He is now seeking other local famon anoth- He later discovered him and his wife ilies, expat or Spanish, that have er British had moved with hospiSharon to Spain from suffered at the hands of the Luton in 2000 - had tal. with othnot been given any He hopes that by joining certain ers and speaking up about pain relief. and After noticing she was practices it will raise awareness imgrimac- pressure authorities to make See page 11 constantly ing from the pain of provements in care. the infected sores, he Opinion Page 6 asked nursing staff to

This front page exclusive from September opened a can of worms with our newsdesk being flooded with calls about the scandal hit hospital in Torrevieja 03170 Calle Los Arcos 7, Ciudad Quesada, & Clothing Cycle Sales, Repairs, Hires, Accessories

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Nesbitt’s family are now waiting to cremate Ben and return his ashes to his native Southport.

21/6/19 13:30

?

See page 12

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Slain expat, 21, had been attacked by the same assailant in 2017

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ONE WAY OUT Vol. 2 Issue 41

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Also, man-made storm drains are badly maintained and easily clog upoften with flora and ‘other detritus.’

The report looked at the ‘most artificial municipalities’ on the coast, with 10 each in the Canary Islands and the Balearics, two in Catalunya and five in Galicia, the ones in Valencia and Andalucia. plus Marbella on the Costa del Sol was lighted as the most urbanised, withhighthe report claiming it is the ‘most impacted by intensive tourism in Spain’.

Next are Calvia, in Mallorca, Denia, the Costa Blanca, Estepona, on the on ta del Sol, and Puerto del Rosario, Cosin Las Palmas, in the Canaries.

In terms of development close to the shoreline (under 500 metres) Benicassim (in Castellon) is the worst offender 82% of its coastline developed for with tourist purposes.

Also criticised are Orihuela Costa, Mijas, Torrevieja and Benalmadena.

The proliferation of golf courses was also pointed out in the Observatory’s findings.

It claimed that the construction of and fairways has far exceeded thegreens area used for public parks and land playgrounds.

Opinion Page 6

Your voice in Spain

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Uncertainty

Opinion Page 6

OLIVE PRESS

FREUDIAN: The portraits of Dali and lover Gala

AN alarming 40% of Spain’s coastline is at ‘a high risk’ of flooding from heavy storms.

A report from Spain’s Sustainability servatory reveals that areas with Oband substantial urbanisation are recent most vulnerable.

This includes many parts of the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, where 12 towns respectively are particularly and 11 at risk.

It comes as the storm season - which number of people dead last year in left a Spain - is set to begin.

According to the report, coastal municipalities since the 1950s have been transformed from rural undeveloped communities to large tourist resorts that have had a negative impact on the local ecosystem.

Some 48 localities out of the 50 studied had seen excessive construction for ist use, mainly in the form of homes,tourhotels and golf courses.

Flooding after storms is generally caused by ‘a lack of suitable drainage, because traditional floodplains have been built on without planning’.

EXPAT parents are completely split over whether it is the right time for children to return to school. An Olive Press reader survey shows that mums and dads are unsure whether September is too soon to send pupils back to the classroom.

In our online poll, we asked readers to share how they felt about schools reopening for the first time since March.

Exactly half said they were happy for their children to be back with their teachers and peers while the rest wanted a vaccine before they let their sons and daughters return.

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And while not all parents want to keep their little ones at home, 56% said that they did not feel their child would be safe on their return.

A whopping 83% agreed that social distancing would be impossible to maintain in the classrooms and 78% thought all children should be made to wear masks at school.

Ominously, just 28% of parents said it was likely that pupils would be able to complete a full school year.

Spanish education officials have for weeks been debating how to get pupils safely back to school this month for in-person classes.

November 7th - November 20

F

fans.”

He is also a regu- TOUGH COOKIE: Hollywood (inset) lar at Benijofar’s wouldn’t smile for the Olive Press, but celebrated Ham- he does like Hamilton’s display (above) iltons, which is one of the most popular expat Press this week. bakeries on the Costa Blanca Cheshire-born Hollywood has number of local bakeries on the south. judged on the Great British day with his dad,” said one of the Costa Blanca, where his dad lives.

Boss Martin Ronald Dean, a forBake Off since 2010, forming an waiters.

Fresh from finishing another mer croupier, who set up the bakeasy-going on-screen relation“Our boss Samantha has got Channel Four series of the bakery and cafe seven years ago, said ship with Mary Berry, that the some pics, but she can’t share ing show, the 53-year old was the TV star was a very private Guardian newspaper described them as he doesn’t like selfies or spotted chewing over baguettes, man of little words. as the show’s ‘secret weapon’. going on social media,” he added. bloomers and pastries in two “He doesn’t say much, but he did However, off the show life has “He basically has a full English cafe/bakeries in Quesada and say he really liked our display of been far more complicated. breakfast and keeps himself to Benijofar. cakes and buns,” he told the Olive Apart from a long and acrimohimself, never engaging with his At one, Redz, he has been a regunious divorce from his wife of 19 lar for years, coming over a numyears Alexandra, he has just brober of times a year to see his dad ken up from his girlfriend of two years Summer, 24.

The split came after he tried to get her to sign a legal agreement not to talk to the press earlier this The Olive Press has been reporting for 14 years in Spain. year.

And in all that time we have met and bumped into hundreds of celebrities from David Beckham to Alexei Sayle and Hugh It went down like a collapsed pie Grant to that lot from TOWIE. in the oven and she moved her Yet not one of them behaved in the despicable way Bake Off clothes and various other items star Paul Hollywood - worth over €10m - did last week. from their shared home in Kent Indeed, every time we have stopped to say hello to someone last weekend. famous, asked them about the weather or their holiday or life It was perhaps not surprising in Spain, whatever, they smiled and at least declined to comment then, that when the Olive Press politely. politely asked him for a quote Hooligan Hollywood in contrast acted like a gangster swaggering for a brand new issue of the painto his local bar to give us a countdown to leave ‘or else’. per on the Costa Blanca south, he One might call it comical. Others might say he needs to learn couldn’t have been blunter.

FULL ENGLISH: At Redz some manners.

“You’ve got ten seconds to get each day It just goes to show all the dough in the world doesn’t buy class. out of here or else,” he threatened, after pulling up in a Jaguar at a HE’S lived in Spain for the past six years, prime minister is anymore. I haven’t got a local cafe in his dad’s playing in front of thousands of Real Ma- clue,” he admitted. urbanisation of Montedrid fans at the Bernabeu.

Bale, who earns £93,000 a day, said he bello, near Benijofar.

So perhaps he might be excused for not was mostly just interested in golf.

Despite merely asking knowing who the current British Prime “I follow the golf, that’s about it. I can tell him what he liked about Minister is. you who’s number one in the world.” the area - and what he In a shocking interview with the Tele- The Cardiff-born striker, who has an thought of the local graph, the Welsh footie ace said he apartment in Marbella, and is often seen bread and pastries - he thought Boris Johnson was still the mayor teeing off at nearby Finca Cortesin golf continued: “You lot are of London. course, has been linked with a move from all the same, get lost.

He added he knows almost nothing about Real Madrid all year.

“I told you stop talking Brexit.

It came after he was subject of harsh pubjust get out and leave,” “I look in terms of stuff financially, be- lic criticism from Galacticos boss Zinedine he added, in the worst cause [Brexit] affects me in a certain Zidane, while rumours have swirled about manners ever witnessed way for investments or money, because a rift between him and his Real teamby this newspaper in things change, but I don’t read most of the mates. The winger was close to a move to 14 years publishing in nonsense. I genuinely don’t know 99 per China in the summer before Real called Spain. cent of Brexit. I don’t even know who the the deal off due to financial concerns.

0

anniversary 3ofWithAmytheWinehous e’s

death this month, the Olive Press reveals how she composed three songs from Back to Black while holidaying in Alicante

n Ph

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I’ve found your Simon (Wade) to be speedy in his replies and professional in every way.

Happy Birthday Olive Press!

Wa m n n w h n n h w N m P B n n n h O T wn CCTV m n h m n wh H w w n wh h w h n h h m Th n w n O P n h

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November 7th - November 20th 2019

HaOff host,you h British Bake wGREAT n m w d k@ Hollywood hasn spentou some h a nEXCLUSIVE

By Jon Clarke and h n Paul of his dough on a Halloween visit m Simon Wade p h o to Spain. n The greying star - who made n John, a former butcher from the n €10million last year - has been Wirral. n n andM n hRonaldo his Q spotted running a rule over a nCRISTIANO “He’s here every day of his holigirlfriend Georgina Rodriguez have stolen the show at the MTV EMA awards in Sevilla.

The pair dazzled, stepping out in contrasting colours, with the footballer donning a red suit and white trainers, while his better half sported a blue dress that revealed one leg.

Spanish model Rodriguez is adjusting to family life with Ronaldo and his children Cristiano Jr., nine, two-yearold twins Eva and Mateo, and Alana, age 22 months.

The former Real Madrid star, who now plays for Juventus, recently said of their relationship: “She has helped me so much.”

He added: “I’m in love with her and we’ll be married one day, for sure. It’s my mum’s dream as well.”

His 25-year-old girlfriend recently admitted that’s ‘not easy’ being in a relationship with someone as famous as the Portuguese star.

LA CULTURA

November 7th - November 20th 2019

A little sprinkle of Hollywood

Ronaldo back in the red

Find out what’s eating Paul Hollywood on Page 3

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Darren Parmenter: San Fulgencio councillor

THE WAY WE TOLD IT

Duty of care claims after missing British great-grandfather was allowed to leave police station at 3am in clearly disoriented state

INCE the introYour duction of the expat Costa Blanca Right turn m Duty of care ce in M voi m South edition H s after claim M won o fi h d d w w of M M Spain sh SUR The Olive Press, we / MURCIA Briti ing miss G NCA TA BLA COSt-gra ndfather 0h 0 have grea received excelh N m anw ds N m h m www V allowed to FREE was m lent coverage of the on H m 80 leave police stati events and happenly in clear at 3am state Fuld aid rient ings diso here inedSan m m SIVE gencio. ByEXCLU Joshua Parfitt That has enabled us Costa Blanca the on POLICE Mht turn Rig after they have been slamme to promote thed municm allowed a confused and disorien mm her D NG mOU m randfat British great-g tatedin mm ipality such a posito walk out of a police station m m N A the dead of night alone. into w m tive reaching er Philip of pension The care offamily w Dutymanner, m demanding an- D A EARED are M 68, m Pearce, A A m those without social over r rm police afte from Benido swers c a ms H w w he was released on SeptemM m w nching for ther-of-three. media in process. “It’s absolutely gut-wre t sh ng m ss why 3am. atthe m 10,Br ber % G Owner of Alicante Transfers, where g knowin he not after family, life a as his us for w fear fath They now McQueen, said he has w er David ared. and The latter fact alone disappe g he t-gr why grea has been missing for an alarmin he is and him home so badly. I sp m “I just want two months w to owe a m was shows the .dcontinued w w O mm w And in a shocking email from the miss him so much.” the Philip was known to be suffering onby‘local’ te, seen m stat ce poaConsula eaveBritish H value of genuine newspaper. signs of demenw m Olive Press this week, there are from the early and smiling’ ‘happy duty y of was ear but w breach c tia, a n of ions suggest m G a journalAlicante with Itatis3am always astat pleasure to work the m mm he left for with when of care. . e partner ng d the travelli ente and reveals friend email M Q dm sor The official a good holiday ists Alex Trelinski and Simon Wade who wcontinpensioner had clearly told police He was having Playa Levante VE ber where he until he left his ‘did not remem EXCLU ber 9 on Septemcourtesy ually Bhe display where he was hotel at 5.30pm and w in fiprofessionalism hu P’ nor was staying w lost to buy cigarettes before he m England. from in dealings. everyone at toThe Olive B n I wish s and was taken his bearing n h C m CE our POLof htm turn all police. mm Wallet h n ‘Happy h the Oltold Lee Press a Second Anniversary’. on, months n Two www.theolivepress.es stated m w The nconsulatenemail also Fa ed for ‘a ground

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DOUBLE BIRTHDAY

expat

/ MURCIA COSTA BLANCA SUR

Demands for €80m flood aid

November 7th - November 20th, 2019

Your voice in Spain

The

Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.theolivepress.es

of fish died HORRIFIC: Millions

EISHED! IV L O N A V SPRESS FREE

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Demands for €80m flood aid

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colin.securitasdirect@gmail.com

CELEBRATION SPECIAL The Olive Press was born 15 years ago in Andalucia with the aim to bring campaigning community reporting to the English language media in Spain.

Over the past two years in Costa Blanca south and 12 months in Valencia we have brought our campaigning and investigative skills to a new audience, as the stories on this page show...

Back to Blanca

By Eugene Costello

‘sensible’ approach, which has kept the economy running as best as possible.

Page 15

A bunch of crooks tried to sell my hotel for a song Page 16

THE WORD ON THE STR

expat

The

expat

Vol. 2 Issue 34

www.theolivepress.es

July 9th - July

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

DEFENDANTS in a ‘landmark’ case against a British-run financial firm have denied all knowledge of a scam that lost €35 million of its clients pension investment.

Instead they blamed the boss of Continental Wealth Management (CWM) Darren Kirby (above) for destroying the hopes and dreams of 750 expats around Spain.

In a tense hearing at Denia Court three former employees denied they knowingly put their clients funds into ‘high risk’ investments.

The trio, Anthony Downs, Neil Hathaway and Dean Stogsdill, are accused of fraud, disloyal administration and falsifying commercial documents.

Reporters Simon Wade and Joshua Parfitt

(inset) stole

in car above

our papers

over CWM fraud EXCLUSIVE

By Jon Clarke

involvement in

Your article (right) reporters, situation to here the CWM As for help on‘didn’t go out he he insisted the Costa and addto scam anybody’

tel: 966 46 38 45

WWW.JAVEABLINDS.COM

Please stop BREXIT

The Olive Press joined thousands of Spaniards and Brits in last ditch Brexit protest See page 5

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OLIVE PRESS

COSTA BLANCA

Vol. 1 Issue 16 www.theolivepress.es

Want to buy a house like this? Check the price tag in our property magazine FREE inside

Your expat

voice in Spain

October 24th - November 6th 2019

Profits and losses

businesses while trio of British claimants battle financial ruin, cancer and depression

How we nailed a corrupt Champagne socialist MP Page 18

An incredible Spanish Inquisition escape story Page 20

A WELL-KNOWN expat fashion signer has been accused of receivingdeup to €1million from an unlicensed Costa Blanca financial advisory company.

Companies in Jody Smart’s name were given the money by defunct Continental Wealth Management (CWM) in the two years’ before its high-profile collapse left hundreds of investors an estimated €20million out of pocket, it can be revealed.

A total of €999,435 was paid to her fashion label Jody Bell SL and property holding company Mercurio Conpro SL between 2015 and 2017, according to bank statements shown to the Olive Press.

Brit Jody, 43, was also paid a €144,000 salary - despite telling a court that she ‘did not know what it meant to be a sole director of company’ and was only involved in ‘marketing and PR’.

In a series of shocking declarations given to Denia’s Court of Instruction No.3 it has emerged that the company could ill afford to pay these

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

huge sums ‘without falling into losses’.

Worse, it comes as it emerges that dozens of victims left destitute and penniless by the Denia-based firm are suing Smart and her former partner Darren Kirby.

In the first case to reach the courts,

The

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c t S u b j e

. t i o n s c o n d i

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The Olive Press joined thousands of Spaniards and Brits in last ditch Brexit protest See page 5

The

LIVE RESS

Your expat

voice in Spain

Profits and losses printed financial advisor,CWM, which you court,” he added. at the shareholder of upmarket “My wife was approached my was based at Javea’s protecting work. I was just Marriott Hotel. lost every- name along with everything While many victims one commithe added. thing and, at leastCWM bosses else,” ted suicide, the

See page 9

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January 27th

www.theolivepress.es

361 Vol. 14 Issue

100% COVID vaccine tests with effective in first to start human trials poised

- February 9th

2021

R-RATED

rise in say that a 10% SCIENTISTS triples the chance of mask wearing number infection rate keeping the R one. for COVID below Digital Health, rethe numWriting in Lancet that keeping searchers said means the pandemic is ber below one R rate shows the numshrinking. Theinfected by each carrier ber of people in the of the coronavirus.

300,000 people They studied their conclusion.

USA to reach

App ‘n go

have been prove people AN app to against COVID is to be immunised the coming days. have launched in that those who the vaccine The Junta says two doses of been given to download the app, will will be able a QR code. This can people which will show scanned so be able to be been vaccinated. This prove they haveto let them travel decould be used for example. spite restrictions,

Watch that chat

‘creates 100% Mariano Esteban. that the vaccine susceptible to mouse the team has verified against researcher Arriaza said that SARS-CoV-2 in a humanised be 100% effective has proven to protection againstinfection, which is very important.’ modified to replicate SPANISH vaccine Esteban and Juan virus has beenis the key that allows will the SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 in mice. by virologists Mariano vaccine, the MVA In the SpanishS protein of SARS-CoV-2, which Centre for Biotechnology, The jab, developed at the National and teaches the complete to enter human cells.

Garcia Arriaza ‘within weeks’. to the protein trials was used to eradicate the coronavirus immune system move on to humana variant of the virus thatin the Journal of Virol- It therefore introduces the it. protected and eliminate of the vaccine The vaccine uses to the results published how to recognisestudy, one or two doses belonging it the smallpox, according According to giant Biofabri, mice from COVID-19.vaccine blocked repliogy. with Spanish biotechtrials already in motion.vi- 100% of the ‘humanised’ that two doses of the however, It is being developedwith plans for clinical Ankara vaccinia’ COVID-19 Arriaza added, in the lungs. to the Zendal group, the jab uses the ‘Modified protein that man- cation of the coronavirus the MVA vector-based in animal a SARS-CoV-2 the coronavirus, demonstrate that and complete efficacy Dubbed MVA-CoV-2, the re“These results a vehicle to transport defense against robust immunity in clinical trials,” rus (MVA) as an immune system vaccine produces Research. its future application ages to stimulate and supports the Spanish MediCouncil for Scientific progressing green light fromhuman trials, which models, declared. reported the Higher a few weeks before searchers waiting for the could begin in Biofabri is now kickstart the first of two clinical phases I and II and macaques. gener- Clinical III. cines Agency tofew weeks. out on hamsters to phase vaccine candidate could start in a of neutralising Tests will now also be carried that the MVA-CoV-2 the production “We have observed response with in mice,” explained of T lymphocytes ates a robust immune the activation antibodies and of the vaccine Arriaza, developers and Juan Garcia Mariano Esteban Virologists

A

a chat without room HAVING a 30-second a badly ventilatedfor half facemask in than coughing could be worse it comes to COVID ina second when of Camfection. the University London A study by College in a bridge and Imperial coughing results speech found that while of big droplets, large number particles. These then – produces finer in the air for longer stay suspended a up to an hour. people to wear and othThe report advises themselves talking and mask to protect they are just ers, even if not coughing.

GOOD START

its the race to vaccinate AS Spain started COVID, Andalucia was population against an early leader. of the vaccination profirst tranche In the first weeks in four of Spain’s gramme one made in the region. of injections was

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FACE THE MUSIC April 11th - April

See Property Magazine inside

24th 2019

SPAIN’S PP party has set out cious plans for a power grab audaback to take control from Valencia and the other autonomou s regions.

Leader Pablo Casado announced his commitment to strengthen the central government’s role in the run to the national up elections in a fortnight.

He insisted that prevent corruptionsuch a move would and lead to a in taxes. drop It comes as the EXCLUSIVE off the threat party attempts to see

By Joshua Parfitt Voted Party, whose from an insurgent Vox REuse expat REduce paper autonomous leader has described the REcycle in Spain Voted cer of Spain’. parliaments as the ‘can- THE beleaguered boss Govt in expat of a failed wealth management paper exile Under the plan, REuse in Spain REduce company which REcycle se resources forthe PP wants to increa- allegedly lost expats more regional government million has ignored than €20 delegations and Confusion a summons court. reigns to transfer of power paralyse any further Darren Kirby, to the regions. of Alicante-based Continental (CWM), failedWealth Management Supremacy court on March to turn up at Denia Who’s Casado insisted 26. paying us?

According the move would Spain being administered see was due to Olive Press sources he to turn up, alongside ‘more effectively’. business partners, former The election hopeful stated The case involves who did turn up. party would carry that a trio of investors, out a sweeping his who lost substantial view of how re- money Should amounts of the regional authorities Three Lions when the company have pub operate looking legged it 2017. at ‘efficiency and folded in ty.’

Three Lions equi- Kirby pub allegedly fled Spain’s quasi-federal HOW WE TOLD to Australia llowing the political system foIT: Our 2017 of ‘autonomous collapse, finally reports ning to Alicante retur- England.” the constitution states’ was added to last year.

“Darren has in 1978. Prime ter Pedro Sanchez, The been sent a Minis- which Burofax how Olive Press exclusively revealed former member he didn’t the constitution, whose party drafted CWM abruptly of staff. will now have sign for, so the court “It was a prestigious folded in plan, insisting strongly opposed the losing hundreds ways,” a sourceto pursue him in other of expats’ life2017, day they just shut place but one ‘tooth and nail’the PSOE would defend vings in the process. said. sa- said, asking the door,” she “A the principal nal self-government. of regio- it’s judge is dealing with The firm, which not to be named. this and Victims had raised under legal was based fears about being “We understand review,” he added. Marriott Hotel, in Denia, out of the asked to sign blank dealing to ten’ had ‘eight he is currently tions and their instrucin ttered telesales staff and clients pensions scaaround Europe, NO SHOW: revealed a vested in high-risk assets being inDarren Kirby which paid res. large commissions.

“It is a blank One pensioner cheque to invest wherever, whenever. ta Blanca told based on the Cos- “It is very worrying lost €210,000 the Olive Press he investing as they were €470,000 despiteafter transferring clients’ risky investments money in highly stating he had low to medium as well as dubious a funds just “I was asked, risk attitude. because gher commissions.”they paid the hiblank form. We ‘Can you sign this He added that will fill in ls.’ I did that losses sustained trusting they the detai- investors should by in my best interests,” would act however, verable as the he said.

“They should investments be recohave been looking led to that for me and they out linked perform, or went bust, faiwere to life insurance their own nests.were just feathering policies.

When the Olive what they were To me they knew Press finally hold of Kirby Lawyer Antoniodoing.” in October 2017, got denied all responsibility.

Flores, whose he Lawbird is representing firm my world,” “I have lost of victims, said a number he said.

See pages 26-29 ment sheets wassigning blank investAre you a victim “This negates ‘very worrying’. or former staff member? Do the very essence financial advisory you services,”said of the case? Contact know more about Tel. (+34) 96 649 Flo- newsdesk@theolivepress.es the Olive Press 18 29 at info@hispaniahomes.es www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

Judge set to take further boss of suspect steps after to turn up at investment companyexpat court fails

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What do Fatboy Slim, director Paul Haggis, John Travolta, Dean Norris and Pilou Asbaek have in common? They’ve all had links to the Balearics this week

Pension peril FIND OUT WHY INSIDE

Expats who lost millions rage at ‘unauthorised’ deals involving ‘worrying’ signing of blank sheets

FREE

They’ve been getting stoned for centuries.

Now UNESCO is interested in Mallorca walls.

SEE PAGE 6

As Spain celebrates Hispania Day, the Olive Press runs a rule over Columbus

As sherry gets big in London, we look at some quirky Jerez cocktails

PENSION OUTRAGE SEE PAGE

10

SEE PAGE 20

Expats lose millions in life savings through failed investment scheme

PENSION OUTRAGE

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

December 23rd - January 13th 2021

We have exposed scammers such as Continental Wealth Management that cost expats millions (above) and brought readers in depth features like this one on Valencia’s Calatrava (right).

December 23rd - January 13th 2021

December 23rd - January 13th 2021

Lifting the Val

Is Baqueira really Spain ’s top skiing resor t?

Page 20

ANCIENT AND MODERN: El Palau de les Arts i l'Hemisfèric and Ciutat vella by Kevin Cash

Did Valencia need Calatravland?

It was the PSOE who envisaged it in the late 80’s, to the condemnation of the PP. But when the party took power in the mid 90’s the scheme mushroomed to even greater heights.

As a result of the ‘too big to fail’ syndrome, costs spiralled four-fold from the original budget of €300 million to well over a billion euros.

During its construction the old town was largely neglected and the rot

set in, with drugs and anti-social behaviour becoming more commonplace. Just think what the city could have done with this amount of money?

Sure, the architecture is impressive…

The Palau de les Arts dominates the site allowing the city to host major international events. But after the obligatory photos to show off to your social media friends, what else does Calatravland offer? L’Hemisfèric, a

* O f f e r

v a l cinema, albeit 3D; an arboretum and science museum where the permadisco where young Valencianos strut nent exhibition hasn’t changed in 20 their stuff, and an opulent opera years. To a scientist, maybe that’s house where the moneyed older de- the nature of permanent, but only mographic splash the cash, now are there new exhibitions in the paying up to €130 a seat. pipeline.

But behind the glitz, there Upwards and onwards to Calatravaare glitches. It’s been prone land’s crescendo, a mussel-like corTheOlive Press-25 to flooding in the past. And uscation of a6x170-HO building yetME02.ind to be fin- d what is the true value of a ished, closed to the public after host-

1

ing and f aocouple r of tennis matches e awclassic a fashion show. ThenÀgora, oxymoron populated by ghosts. It too is to get a facelift by bringing the Caixa Forum here to match Madrid and Barcelona.

This can only be topped by the twisted apartments in the sky project (design fees €15 million) that is still on hold, although housing may

craving for new, shiny objects to raise us up, while giving us a quickofix of culture. n so-called l y high . what Sis The big question remains, needed to give it purpose in an age where sustainability is the new buzz word.REDUCE, reuse and only then recycle.

After the tourists have overdosed on Calatravaland, the magnet which may have drawn them to Valencia in the first place, they must be enticed to venture further afield and discover its polar opposite, the old city where people live and work and raise their kids.

A pleasurable bike ride along the old riverbed, the amazing green lung of the city, leads to a world of total contrast to Calatravaland. You can still meander along the narrow streets, albeit many are interspersed with vacant lots, like missing teeth, and decaying buildings covered in green construction mesh But beneath the cobbles, medieval and Moorish imprints still underpin the core of the city, and under these the Roman city that began it all. This is the Rome to Calatravaland’s Nero.

Nowadays, the streets tracing the old city walls are almost devoid of traffic and manage to retain their tranquil charm. The grand palaces with their quiet and reclusive internal courtyards and the less noble buildings that tie in the whole urban fabric give a real sense of place. This has been a gradual evolution over millennia, not one man’s vision built over a few decades, devoid of the life blood of a living, breathing city.

So why is the old town not being treasured as it should be and what will be the consequence of this?

Private development here is at a standstill if not regressing, stifled by

OLIVE PRESS

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N

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red tape and the additional costs and restrictions that come with free zone. u developing neighbour- But it is time that neglected plots b j ein ac historic t t o were c addressed. hood. There are new build opportuo n dRedesign i t would i o nities elsewhere in the city that are encourage community ownership of more lucrative and less hassle. neighbourhoods through ‘passive Like many cities, there is also an surveillance’. For example more element of antisocial behaviour in semi-private spaces are needed to some areas, especially in August protect private domains, such as when most people leave the highs simple front gardens for existing of 40 degrees celsius for the beach ground floor social housing projects. or mountains and a less discernible All this would be for the greater good, element frequents the area, includ- creating an environment for everying the most vulnerone, as Calatravaland able of society, the continues to draw in homeless, drug addicts the tourists to the widCould and drunks. Although er city. it’s not as bad as the In conclusion, is CaCalatravaland, latravaland, 1980s and 90s when just too a heroin epidemic left be too modern? modern? Is that why most of the old town it’s so intriguing, beIs that why it’s cause no one really and the riverbed off limits. understands it? In my so intriguing?

Before the pandemopinion the main dific, tourist rentals and ference is that ‘it just noise pollution plagued ain’t got soul’. the sleep of residents and the build- No doubt in architectural terms it’s a ing works, though desperately need- marvel, a sculpture to behold. But at ed, caused tension between home night it dies a death, becomes cold, owners within apartment blocks. clinical, without depth. It’s people inMoving forward, how can the char- side looking out, unlike the old town acter of the old town be preserved which is outside looking in. whilst being regenerated, along with The charming ruin of the much nethe wider city (La Cabañal, Beni- glected ciutat vella is a more human machet, Russafa, Patriax)? Some scale, an area that carves out places measures have been put in place to as opposed to Calatravaland being address the situation, for example, objects within space. The old town is public consultation. Unfortunately, given life by its inhabitants and, even this is slow and small scale as the through this surreal time, it contintown hall is strapped for cash. ues to delight and give hope for the Some positive initiatives have also future. borne fruit, such as the traffic engi- The pandemic has given us pause for neering project to reduce vehicles thought. Let us use this opportunity and increase bike travel city-wide. to focus on our built heritage and reThe old town has benefitted the most invigorate what we have here in Vafrom this and is now an almost traffic lencia, the existing old and the new.

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FISHERMAN: One of the few people seen at the City of Arts and Sciences this month, while (right) and dog walker

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A TRADE deal between is on the verge of being the EU and Britain EU looked set to cave in finalised, after the An MEP broke ranks to on fishing rights. likely the French would say that it looked mise with Boris Johns have to comproon’s demands over UK waters.

Christophe Hansen said the EU would have to meet the UK’s an agreement. "There demands to clinch es to be made on fisherwill be compromisies.

The status quo, that is somewhere we're not going to land,” he told an event.

French fishermen are backed the compromisunderstood to have e despite losing out on access to certain fishin g grounds.

It came after the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier demanded the need to com-

this week

By Dilip Kunar

promise in order to get France had previouslyan agreement. back down on any fishin been refusing to near-parity to the UK’s g deal, demanding It comes as the governorcoastal waters. of the Bank of England warned that a no-de al Brexit would be more economical ly damaging than COVID to the UK. Andrew Bailey said failur signed would create a massie to get a deal trade blockage and dama ve cross-border ge goodwill between Brussels and the UK for years.

Meanwhile, Ireland leader Micheal Martin said on Monday he was hopeful that a Brexit deal would be completed this week.

Taoiseach Martin said ‘by t week we could see the outlin He said it would come will, both in the Unite dow d clear the political will is Kin there ropean Union’.

EU ambassadors were told o end that a trade deal with verge of being finalised. Br They were told the major negotiation issues have ity o ‘join with fewer and fewer outsta The European commissionnd sula von der Leyen, struck p saying: “After difficult weeksa p slow progress now we have w se days better progress, more m important files. This is good.”

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Roland Wareham, 5 director from Anda pressed by how we handling the pandem On a business trip f Mijas this week, he struck by how normal Ruzafa, all the bars a were open, and the crowded with familie enjoying the al fresco “In Andalucia, meanw restaurants must close my town is like a ghost “Valencia should serv print for the rest of Sp Opinion, page 6

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tween keeping lif ing it safe.”

While tourism is year, the tourist ities, including ci balance beums, are open.

Best of all, unlik locals and tourists between midnight “It’s a great time t as there are no qu abe.

“We take the pan but we also believ have a full life.”

Currently few plac nidad face tough r high infection rates The city meanwhil an activity card cal an app anyone can just aimed at touris

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Oh la landing Brexit!

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well give Calatravaland back some much-needed over form. c u s t function o mthe earchitect r s Therefore, do we blame for all its shortcomings? Being one myself, I stand in solidarity with my fellow professional and say no.

Calatravaland is a product of its time and the cultural psyche - Nero fiddled while Rome went down the pan.

It may have satisfied our immediate

By Eugene Costello

‘

TM

A MARVEL: But by night it ‘dies a death and becomes cold and clinical and without depth’

i d

Andreas Tessmer D onrector “Life goes and we forward,” insisted Antonmust move io Berna Costa Va enc a ‘sensible’ approde direct oranguage of the Turismo Valenbé, ach, which has kept cia the economy running Foundation, to the Olive as best Press, this as possible. week. schoo “We have struck a good

THE O ve Press has become a reference po nt n Va enc a and ts nearby coast As a ways ser ous work and profess ona sm pays off Con gratu at ons on your THE WORD ann versary

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834

The Olive Press has always had Green credentials and we have done our bit in exposing environmental scandals and issues (right), including this front page in August

NEWS FEATURE

Valencia is open

VALENCIA remains open for visitors, with COVID restri relaxed than most other ctions more regions, insists tourist chiefs.

The city has been praise nessmen and tourists d by busialike for its

BEST FOOT FORWARD:

NAMDLOG YTL UG

Lessons needed

19

UNREAL CITY: Dubbed ‘Calatravaland’ after its homegrown architect, is Valencia’s €1.2 billion City of Arts a world wonder or a monumental waste of taxpayers’ money, asks expat architect Kevin Cash

near that of Barcelona and Madrid.

Each year (with the obvious exception of 2020), it attracts tens of thousands of international tourists enticed by events such as free MTV concerts headlining major acts like The Cure and The Arctic Monkeys.

In many ways this is important, with cities attracting the biggest mass migration of our times. Their benefits are power in numbers, jobs, municipal facilities, hospitals, schools and the arts. Their downside, overcrowding, rush-hour traffic, inequality, lack of access to facilities and suburban malls killing local trade.

Good sustainable management of urban spaces is definitely the key to their success. And the ‘build it and they will come’ philosophy has worked to a point creating new spaces and allowing new neighbourhoods to gain a foothold within the city limits, such as Calatravaland, which sits just outside the city centre.

However, it is my belief that this overpriced development was created at the expense of the existing urban structure, which has been sadly neglected for a quick return. In particular, the old town of Valencia - Ciutat Vella - where I reformed my own flat and have been living and working since 2003.

21/6/19 13:30

OLIVE PRESS

t o

www.moversint.co.uk movers.int@gmail.com

huge sums ‘without falling into losses’.

Worse, it comes as it emerges that dozens of victims left destitute and penniless by the Denia-based firm are suing Smart and her former partner Darren Kirby.

In the first case to reach the courts,

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A WELL-KNOWN expat fashion signer has been accused of receivingdeup to €1million from an unlicensed Costa Blanca financial advisory company.

Companies in Jody Smart’s name were given the money by defunct Continental Wealth Management (CWM) in the two years’ before its high-profile collapse left hundreds of investors an estimated €20million out of pocket, it can be revealed.

A total of €999,435 was paid to her fashion label Jody Bell SL and property holding company Mercurio Conpro SL between 2015 and 2017, according to bank statements shown to the Olive Press.

Brit Jody, 43, was also paid a €144,000 salary - despite telling a court that she ‘did not know what it meant to be a sole director of company’ and was only involved in ‘marketing and PR’.

In a series of shocking declarations given to Denia’s Court of Instruction No.3 it has emerged that the company could ill afford to pay these

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A BRITISH tourist has been stabbed, robbed and hospitalised by three minors who recorded the attack on their phones.

The trio were cuffed by police in Sant Vicent de Raspeig, near Alicante, after their victim suffered a collapsed lung and had to undergo emergency surgery.

A statement said the group stabbed the victim in the back with a pen-knife, whilst recording the attack on their mobile phones.

The unnamed holidaymaker was taking a morning stroll when he sensed he was being followed, so returned home as a precaution.

The gang caught up with him and a struggle ensued, where he was attacked and robbed of his wallet and mobile.

A passerby stopped to help, calling an ambulance straight away.

The man suffered a collapsed lung and immediately went into surgery.

CCTV quickly established the identity of the attackers, two of which were already known to police.

Matching clothing and the weapon used in the attack were found in subsequent house searches.

The 16 and 17-year-olds arrested were charged with the crimes of robbery with violence and wounding with intent.

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In documents seen by the Olive Press, CWM was paid €3,391,873 of commission for selling insurance bonds and investments by two Cyprus-based financial firms, between October 2015 and September A January 2019 statement 2017. from Spain’s financial regulator revealed insurance bonds were sold in breach of the law.

What is certain is that this funded a ‘lavish lifestyle’ for money players Kirby and Smart, whoits key were in a relationship together 2011 to March 2017, according from to former staff members.

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Petrol bombs and bullets, Director of disgraced Costa Blanca an Olive Press dispatch wealth management firm rakes in €1million from Barcelona Page 6 for her

From mice to men

PENSION OUTRAGE

FACE THE MUSIC

NOTORIOUS: Disgraced businesswoman Jody Smart accused in financial scandal

three British claimants are seeking crimafter CWM’s September 2017 collapse inal charges for aggravated fraud, fake left him with just €22,000 accounting and belonging to a criminal from initial investments of more than ₤800,000 organisation.

The complaints concern bungled house (approx €900,000). transactions, unpaid loans and failed Davison was diagnosed with deprespension investments that lost the claim- sion just weeks after the collapse, before turning to alcohol abuse and developants over €1million between them. ing type-2 diabetes, according to a video One of the victims, Mark Davison, ically died, aged 59, in July this trag- shot just before his death. year His body, covered with lesions sores, had lain undiscovered for upand a week in the mid-summer heat at to his home in Sanet.

“Mark died as a result of what had been done to him,” Timothy Benjamin, a low claimant, told the Olive Press. fel“By the end he didn’t want the daylight to appear.”

Benjamin, 67, likewise felt ‘ashamed’ after he lost his €250,000 private pension, reinvested by CWM into ‘risky’ investments, via QROPS. In his official testimony he told the court how he had transferred ₤325,000 (€375,000 approx) from a property sale to CWM on the basis the firm investing it in a villa in Monte Pego. was But court papers revealed ₤200,000 went directly to the bank account of

Law breaking for lavish lifestyle

Want to sell Wickedness your property?

In what is Spain’s largest at court, ABSENT: Kirby (above) was a no-show 96 649 1883 legal scrutiny of British-run Jodie (right) and a previous Olive Press front page financial scams to date, the trio were grilled about ” Smart has previously defalsifying documents and Another is widow Karen nied ever dealing with climiss-selling toxic invest- O’Hagan, who lost €72,000 ents or having anything of her RBS pension. ments. to do with the running of A total of 17 claimants have It came after she was told CWM other than promotion brought the private prose- by CWM staff that transfer- online and in the media. cution as Denia court seeks ring the money was the only to bring former boss Kir- way to protect it for her two by and sole director Jody young children if she passed away.

Smart to justice.

Kirby failed to attend the hearing on February 24, Shame and could now face arrest.

Angela Brooks, who is leadMeanwhile, Smart was able ing the private prosecution, to delay attending the hear- told the Olive Press the case ing until next month due to will set a major ‘precedent’ damage to a restaurant she across Europe. owns during Storm Gloria.

“It’s a disgrace that it’s Court transcripts passed to taken a Spanish lawyer in the Olive Press reveal how Spain and a Spanish crimthe ex-employees denied all inal judge to recognise the accusations put to them. wickedness of actions taken The defendants claimed by all parties concerned. that former boss Kirby was “There is no precedent for responsible for moving this. It is going to shame the funds from low-risk to all the other jurisdictions high-risk. throughout Europe and beOne of the victims, former yond into acknowledging Blackpool bus driver Les what many offshore adviHutchings, 67, lost nearly sors have been doing for his entire €117,000 private years. “The scale of this case pension when it ended up in has made the courts sit up toxic portfolios without his and take notice. knowledge.

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promise in order to get France had previouslyan agreement. back down on any fishingbeen refusing to near-parity to the UK’s deal, demanding It comes as the governorcoastal waters. of the Bank of England warned that a no-deal Brexit would be more economically damaging than COVID to the UK. Andrew Bailey said failure signed would create a massiveto get a deal trade blockage and damage cross-border goodwill between Brussels and the UK for years.

Meanwhile, Ireland leader Micheal Martin said on Monday he was hopeful that a Brexit deal would be completed this week.

LOCKDOWN LOCK-IN

How Amy’s guitar-make r from Valencia won over the world

Taoiseach Martin said ‘by the end of this week we could see the outlines of a deal’.

He said it would come will, both in the United down to ‘political clear the political will is Kingdom and I’m there from the European Union’.

EU ambassadors were told end that a trade deal with over the weekverge of being finalised. Britain is on the They were told the majority of the 11 main negotiation issues have ‘joint legal texts with fewer and fewer outstandin g points’.

The European commissio sula von der Leyen, struckn president, Ursaying: “After difficult weeksa positive note, slow progress now we have with very, very days better progress, more seen in the last movement on important files. This is good.”

Holiday hell

Petrol bombs and bullets, Director of disgraced Costa Blanca an Olive Press dispatch wealth management firm rakes in €1million from Barcelona Page 6 for her

EXCLUSIVE

Hathaway

EXCLUSIVE

PAPER THIN:

952 Tel: stop Please BREXIT

f o r

1

By Dilip Kunar

Back to Blanca

March 5th - March 18th 2020

Defendants in ‘landmark’ case against fraudulent financial firm claim they did not know clients’ pensions were put at risk

over his Blanca lost ‘a lot of monWealth Manof a crooked grilled GOTCHA: to sports ed he had A KEY associate well, but declined company the Continental scandal, took lived lives of luxury with holidays ey’ as wealth managementof stealing agement (CWM) Financier name appear- cars, exotic foreign say how much. set to conhas been accused of the Olive umbrage to his COSTA court is in our March BLANCA Hathaway, and designer clothes. how 750 In declarations a fash- Denia hundreds of copies court docu- ing in an article banged Jody launched to New tinue its probe into with at made in February, two other former flew millions, the Director 5 edition.

Press newspaper, he had takenwith ion label and twice according victims lost their entire pen- along with Anthony Downs ments have confirmed. week, to rights colleagues the wealthy He insisted least 17Olosing claimed York fashion as he ‘was angry’ P Police have grilled pots. and Dean Stogsdill, ‘In Denial’, to official court documents. the theft of up papers boss Kirby was tracked sion former Blackstealing tel: moneyman overof the paper in the story headed and his colthe Olive Press to his These include Les Hutchings, their formerfor the frauds. bundles 2045 about how he hundreds of When 46to38 Angela pool bus driver entire responsible Hathaway down Olive Press 966 the Javea area. witnesses spot- leagues scammed euro mansion Your lost nearly hispension Pensions investigatorPress the out of an estimated multi-million above Javea he 67, who after Olive jumping investors Brooks told the €117,000 private in the hills the theft, with expat newspaper to Ittedcomes Neil Hathawayand lifting €35 million. up in high-risk case would set a major ‘preceowned by Jody when it ended SUV couldn’t deny out of a black from our stands The company, without his knowl- dent’ across Europe. it’s takKirby, is his SUV parked in the drive. portfolios cover up his voice in Smart and Darren entire bundlesaccomplice. a disgrace that a lot less papers edge. of fraud and falsifying “But it was Karen O’Ha- “It’sa Spanish lawyer in Spain with an claimed,” he en had been accused judge Another is widow links to fraud along than the police Spain €72,000 of her and a Spanish criminal commercial documents.

Hathaway, who is now taking insisted. gan, who lost FREE Vol. the wickedness IssuePress very angry, as The1 Olive 16 www.theolivepress.es just24th the British pension. angry, trial WWW.JAVEABLINDS.COM that to recognise October by all parties from RBS - November 6thwas 2019 legal action againstwho was a “I was documents told by CWM staff of actions taken this

v a l i d

week

WWW.JAVEABLINDS.COM

22nd 2020

4

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out around the city this

45 tel: 966 46 38

Your

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TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd

See pages 24 & 11

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team getting the message

A TRADE deal between is on the verge of being the EU and Britain EU looked set to cave in finalised, after the An MEP broke ranks to on fishing rights. likely the French would say that it looked have to compromise with Boris Johnson’s demands over UK waters.

Christophe Hansen said the EU would have to meet the UK’s an agreement. "There demands to clinch will be compromises to be made on fisheries. that is somewhere we're The status quo, not going to land,” he told an event.

French fishermen are understood to have backed the compromise despite losing out on access to certain fishing It came after the EU’s chiefgrounds. negotiator Michel Barnier demanded the need to com-

Run by Visit Valencia it offers a huge range of discounts for museums, events, restaurants, transport and even hotels. You can find valenciaon.com, and it it at www. is completely free.

Roland Wareham, 55, director from Andaluciaa company , was impressed by how well handling the pandemic the city was .

On a business trip from his native Mijas this week, he struck by how normal said: “I was life seemed. In Ruzafa, all the bars and restaurants were open, and the terraces were crowded with families enjoying the al fresco and friends lifestyle.

“In Andalucia, meanwhi restaurants must close le, bars and my town is like a ghost by 6pm, and town at night.

“Valencia should serve as a blueprint for the rest of Spain.”

Opinion, page 6

COSTA BLANCA

FREE

Page 6

THE first edition of the Olive Press Valencia was born amidst a massive thunderstorm that knocked out electricity.

Yet our production team worked into the early hours to ensure the paper hit Pathe lace con streets on time (above) with an excellent lockdown exclusive!

A bunch of crooks tried to

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME0

A WELL-KNOWN British expat and former glamour model is set to go on trial this week. How the Other Half Lives Jody Smart, 44, has been about her fashion business she called to answer questions in boasted how she was worth a multi-million euro pensions €13 million while showing off scam that lost hundreds of ex- her floor- to-ceiling shoe collection and pats their life savings. wearing limited She is set to OLIVE edition Jimmy be joined by PRESS Choos. three other L The trial, inwhich former emDeresumes PAPER TRAI ployees of nia this week, Continenwill ask her tal Wealth denial In and fellow emM a n ployees Paul agement Clarke, Ste(CWM) at O LIVE phen Ward Costa the PRESS and AnthoBlanca hearDowns ny are ings that Movers 952 147 834 - what hapbehind a year pened to clischedule. ents’ money Fashion dethat was put signer Smart in high-risk - aka Jody investments.

Bell and Jody The private Kirby - will be prosecution grilled over the against how her Defour co-defennia-based GUIDE dants has been company brought by 17 colCWM lapsed in 2017, leaving many former CWM clients. The last was in February, of the firm’s 750 mostly-Brit- court date T’S undoubtedly Valencia’s unique postponed hearings ish clients with huge financial with April selling point, a surreal city of pandemic. due to the problems. swooping white concrete and glass trying former also are exposed we year authorities Last Law undulating along the banks of the Neil Hathaway to trace her ex husband Dar- CWM advisor of copold Turia riverbed like a CGI creation hundreds for stealing ren Kirby. the Olive from Star Press Wars.after we While many of CWM’s vic- ies of beingit’s sometimes how he was tims lost all their savings, and reported Calatravaland , as prosuicide, legal the of part committed as grilled a couple called, was envisaged at a time Smart allegedly travelled busi- ceedings. when the cities of Europe were vying ness class to America and lived We tracked the disgraced fito make to hison the internadownmark advisortheir nancial in huge luxury villas. tional stage. euro villa above She also allegedly received multi-million it, he admittedcathedrals wheremajestic Once, were up to €1 million to set up her Javea, ‘alsoalost that he company Jody Bell SL and whining erected to had show city’s worth. In of money’. launched charity Grant a a lot20th century SpainAnit was the specaction Wish, which received lavish Legal tacle ofcoordinator, structural gymnastics like praise and publicity in various gela Brooks, told the Olive thethat Citysheofwas Arts and the Sciences that ‘glad’ Press local publications. on.city skyline. was finallythe In a Channel 4 programme trialchanged will counterparts Similarly to its medieval trial resumption “The long-awaited some built bring it was by thecomtaxpayers and it has waitwhobe to everyone to fortcontinues maintained by the be defendants to for these ed same today.

So is it worth it? brought to justice.”

La private Ciutat action de lesaccuses Arts de les CienThe cies, Kirby, to giveJody it itsSmart, proper Valencian Darren Stephen anda sight name, is truly to behold. TourClarke, Paul ad- to visit this disloyal fraud, Ward ists of flock in their droves sigand forging ministration, spectacular vision which brought dealing investment on natures in €314.4 million in 2018 and has instructions. raised Valencia’s cultural status to The

While other health tips for the new year include...

ELIXIRS OF VALENCIA: Tasty treats to keep you healthy in body and mind - see page 12

A

* O f f e r

Oh la landing Brexit!

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834

Expat fashion designer due in court over €35 million pension plunder trial

problems.

30 min“More activity is better, so walking 15 minutes per day is better than walking exercise does utes a day,” Dr Lucia said. “But negative efnot seem to compensate for the fects of excess weight.”

ata de

Is Baqueira really Spain’s top skiing resort?

Page 20

Your

MODEL JUSTICE?

The new rules allowing you to drive in Spain until next summ er

Blueprint

Palace con

Lifting the Val

VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR 2021 ss.es January 28th - February 10th FREE Vol. 1 Issue 5 www.theolivepre

get

tween keeping life normal and keeping it safe.”

While tourism is down year, the tourist boss 80% on last says all activities, including cinemas and museums, are open.

Best of all, unlike much locals and tourists must of Spain, between midnight and only stay in 6am.

“It’s a great time to discover the city as there are no queues,” adds Bernabe.

“We take the pandemic seriously, but we also believe in the right to have a full life.”

Currently few places in the Comunidad face tough restriction s due to high infection rates.

The city meanwhile, an activity card calledhas developed Valencia On, an app anyone can download , not just aimed at tourists.

2020

his regular Friday on a cornu copia of night down been the boozer durin WE have cog lockaborat ng wEmer thald Isle colturning it into lectibles… and it even has Guinn down, expat Conor Wilde ess pub. And if I hit on a on draught. novel idea for this one s the Oownve Press -for ar being year now to buildha his f“Afte coope pub! d up like a man done a grand jo Called El Irland in solitary in March I The Irish expat, 46, got came up with ite Marti his and we very sat w th the matessfied a plan,” the n Scor over andare Valen cia-ba converted his sed real esinto what he claims is garden shed tate consultant told the Olive Press fits his closest p FORGET THE DRAUGH Spain’s and Friday night Bla small- “I the had an old ces offered resu tsgarden. I. Wilde Conor est shed in the watering and pals at makeshift T:serv hole. got the lads over , from Ske local Measuring 2.4m by 2.5m , it counts lego & Champ – – Tuejar, El Gal- has run the Foun ach eved and we set about for two decades We are go ng to cont nue w th the co aborat on as soon as the new season starts See you soon

Photos by Jon Clarke

The

IT’S impossible to be ‘fat and fit’ and even if you are slightly overweight you are unhealthy, a new study found. the Researchers in Spain found rockets as risk of heart attacks and strokes BMI increases. does reAnd while they agree that exercise like diabetes duce the risk of some illnesses were active and hypertension, those who to have high and obese were twice as likely of a normal cholesterol than inactive people weight. ‘obesity long-held the challenge findings The to be fat and paradox’ belief that it’s possible from heart not at an increased risk of death disease. adults The study of over 520,000 Spanish in Madrid, reby the European University, were actualvealed that overweight people diabetes... ly four times more likely to have high blood and five times more likely to have pressure. said lead “One cannot be fat but healthy,” “This study researcher Dr Alejandro Lucia. is not likely shows that being regularly active effects of to eliminate the detrimental health excess body fat. that a phys“Our findings refute the notion negate ically active lifestyle can completely the deleterious effects of obesity.” undeniThe team found that while exercise that ably had positive effects, participants undeniably were overweight or obese were major health more at risk of developing

“Life goes on and we must move forward,” insisted Antonio director of the Turismo Bernabé, Foundation, to the Olive Valencia Press, this week.

“We have struck a good balance be-

How Amy’s guitar-maker lencia won over the worldfrom Va-

: The Olive Press Valencia

0th 2019

turning it into Spain’s smallest pub. And if I say so myself, we’ve done a grand job.”

Called El Irlandes, after ite Martin Scorsese film,his favourit happily fits his closest pals in Friday night Blarney. for the usual Wilde, from Skerries, near Dublin, has run the Found Valencia agency for two decades.

Valencia is opeCOUnNTD!OWN TO BREXIT Don’t for

BEST FOOT FORWARD

voice in Spain

The

UNABLE to have his regular Friday on a cornucop night down the boozer ia during lock- lectibles… and of Emerald Isle coldown, expat Conor Wilde it even has Guinness hit on a on draught. novel idea for this one - to build his “After being cooped own pub! in solitary in March I up like a man The Irish expat, 46, got came up with over and converted his his mates a plan,” the Valencia-based real esgarden shed tate consultan into t told the Olive Press. what he claims FORGET THE DRAUGH T: Conor est watering hole. is Spain’s small- “I had an old shed in the garden. and pals at makeshi I got ft local the lads over – Tuejar, El Measuring 2.4m by 2.5m, Galit counts lego & Champ – and we set about

VALENCIA remains open for visitors, with COVID restriction s more relaxed than most other regions, insists tourist chiefs.

The city has been praised by businessmen and tourists alike for its

voice in Spain

ress.es November 26th - December 9th

EXCLUSIVE

Page 6

Your

expat

VAL EN CIA / COS TA AZA HA R FREE Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.theo livep

LOCKDOWN LOCK-IN

The new rules allowing you to drive in Spain until next summer

OLIVE PRESS

expat

voice in Spain

eolivepress.es Novembe r 26th - December 9th 2020

Don’t forget

Fat not fit is what matters

Your

VALE NCIA / COST A AZAH AR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.th

COUNTDOWN TO BREXIT

13

OLIVE PRESS

The

OLIVE PRESS

At heart we are a community paper which puts the interests of expats to the fore. We examine the issues they face in detail, with our coverage of the run up to and aftermath of Brexit (left) a prime example.

‘

T s a p easure to co aborate w th the O ve Press wh ch has a owed us to re nforce our promot on of the event to the target aud ence of automot ve trade fa rs n oth er prov nces and to ncrease the numbers of v s tors to the 23rd ed t on of the Fer a de Au tomóv de Va enc a

Victor Castillejos, Feria del Automóvil de Valencia

LA CULTURA

Grim centre A FORMER civil war concentration camp is to become an information and interpretation centre.

One of the derelict barrack buildings at the Albatera site will be rebuilt as a museum for visitors to learn about the horrors that happened.

Only unearthed last year, the camp measuring only 500 square metres, reportedly held 16,000 people captive for six months in 1939.

Archaeologists are at present searching for mass graves on the site.

Prisoners included Republican government officials, military staff, journalists, trade

HEMORRHOIDS, RECTAL FISSURES

15

November 4th November 17th 2021

Former Franco concentration camp to become key museum unionists and artists who were captured in the port of Alicante as they attempted to flee marauding nationalist troops as they took the city in 1939.

Most of them had managed to get onto the ship, the Stanbrook, which was prevented from leaving.

Regional ministers have already met with the mayor of nearby San Isidro to discuss the acquisition of all the land to turn it into a ‘memory interpretation centre.’

“The intention is to acquire the plot and create a space that serves for re-

LOOMING LOVELY AN ancient piece of fabric found inside a small cave hidden in the Sierra Morena hills, near Cordoba in southern Spain, is the oldest evidence of textiles in the Iberian Peninsula.

Dating back 5,400 years, the textiles were discovered in the Cerro de la Calera cave alongside human remains. Experts believe the cloth was left as ‘grave goods’ along with fragments of wood and cork, and some pottery vessels.

After almost five years of study, scientists have confirmed the age of the fabric.

Researchers said: “Although small and fragmentary, the textile finds from Peñacalera add important new information to our understanding of the development of textile technologies in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe during the Late Neolithic period and Copper Age.”

flection and not to forget one of the saddest and most regrettable episodes of our past,” said a spokesman.

So far six archaeologists working at the site have found cans of sardines, cans of lentils, dishes, glass remains, prisoners’ personal artefacts, waste and a septic tank.

Spent ammunition used by Franco’s victorious soldiers was also discovered, implying that executions were carried out.

Skeletal remains have also been found within the camp’s perimeter.

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Subterranean detection work to find the location of various graves will continue into 2022.

“There was no practice here, if you shoot a rifle it’s because you have aimed at someone,” admitted Felipe Mejias, the historian and archaeologist that found the site.

“This is one of the most terrifying of the 300 camps that Franco opened up throughout the country.”

But he added that it was also one of the most unknown as it was dismantled and ‘even the rubble was taken away’.

He added that he has been collecting ‘heartbreaking testimonies’.

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16

LA CULTURA THE MAN WHO MOVED November 18th - December 1st 2021

Wealthy Americans who bought up Spanish treasure

B FRENZY: Arthur Byne

EFORE the Great Depression and the onset of World War II brought them down to Earth, America’s wealthiest individuals showed no signs of restraint while spending their riches.

The treasures of Europe were often the target of this exorbitant spending, as many in America’s wealthy

By Shannon chaffers

class, such as John D Rockefeller and William Randolph Hearst (pictured inset right), held a distinct fascination in all things European, especially artifacts from its medieval era.

As a result of this fascination, numerous pieces of artwork, manor houses, libraries,

and even monasteries made their way across the Atlantic throughout the early 1900s.

Spain played a particularly prominent role in this trend, as Americans romanticised Spanish culture as particularly authentic, premised on the stereotype that Spain was stuck in a pre-industrial era, untouched by modern technology. This perception, coupled with the

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fact that many Americans believed they had the right and responsibility to take from other cultures to enrich their own ‘superior’ one, led to a feeding frenzy on Spanish items.

And at the heart of this frenzy stood art dealer Arthur Byne.

Though less well-known than some of his clients, the American’s self-described life mission to bring old works of art from Spain to America earned him both plaudits and scorn among the Spanish society he immersed himself in.

So what is the story behind the man who proved integral in fueling this movement of Spanish ar tifacts across the Atlantic?

Born in 1884 in Philadelphia, Byne studied a r c h i te c ture at the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduating, he became a curabrokers and agents never retain any tor at the paper documents with information Hispanic pertaining to your health themselves.

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based institution dedicated to show casing Spanish culture.

B y n e ’ s new role saw him move to Spain in 1910.

While his initial purpose was to photograph and i n dex Spain’s medieval structures for the society, he began making a name for himself as an authority on Spanish art and architecture. The Spanish government recognised his expertise, granting him the title of Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Alfonso XII in 1927.

Yet Byne was always interested in bringing the works he found back to America, drawing the ire of Spanish historians and journalists. As he aligned himself with those wealthy Americans who sought Spanish works, Byne sold them statues, ironwork, parts of castles and cathedrals, and even a royal carpet.

Perhaps his most notorious act involved orchestrating the purchase, dismantling, and removal of Spain’s St Bernard de Clairvaux and Santa Maria de Ovila monasteries at the behest of his client William Randolph Hearst, a media mogul with a costly affinity for medieval European structures.

Not only were the buildings themselves expensive, so too was the process of bringing them to America. In 1926, Hearst purchased the St. Bernard de Clairvaux in the Segovia province of central Spain for $35,000. To ship it across the Atlantic, Byne first had to build 40 miles of road and 20 miles of railroad. These were used to take the monastery, whose pieces were divided into over 10,000 crates, through the countryside and to a Spanish port, where they were then shipped to New York City.

To take advantage of these great benefits and to receive great cashback rewards on your home, car and life insurance policies, simply visit www.libertyexpatriates.es or call 91 342 25 49

SHIPPED IN: The packaged monastery arrives a docky

LA CULTURA MONASTERIES

yard

November 18th - December 1st 2021

17

DISMANTLED: Santa Maria de Ovila and (above) how it looks now

OVER 250,000 PROPERTIES FROM 2,000+ AGENTS

The removal of the monastery prompt- the government had enacted ed local outcry as villagers tried on strict historical preservation laws multiple occasions to that made the restop workers from takmoval of certain ing what they viewed Spanish artifacts, The removal as a precious part of including monastheir community. Yet teries, illegal. prompted Byne was able to take The rules were local outcry as weakly enforced, advantage of Spain’s cash-strapped governas villagers tried however, ment, who ignored the Byne was able protests, allowing him to stop workers to convince the to finish the job. government, still Removing the Santa struggling ecoMaria de Ovila from nomically, that Trillo in central Spain (purchased removing the monastery would for about $100,000) five years later bring in new jobs. The process proved even more complicated. In re- indeed required man power, sponse to Byne’s previous activities, as getting the monastery to a

port this time required not only construction of a railroad, but also the development of a pulley-cable system to allow a raft carrying the stones to cross the Tagus River. The parts were then shipped to San Francisco, arriving there in 1931.

Some, including Hearst and Byne, argued that actions like removing these monasteries would help preserve European cultural monuments at a time where many had been neglected or damaged by conflict. But Hearst’s purchasing decisions might more accurately be described as cultural theft for personal gain, given he intended to incorporate the monasteries into his mansions.

Yet even this self-indulgent ambition did not come to fruition. With the advent of the Great Depression, Hearst and many others had to rein in their spending. This meant Hearst gave up his vision of reconstructing the monasteries, and they instead ended up sitting in their respective docks for years.

Rebuilt

It took 26 years for the St Bernard de Clairvaux monastery to see the light of day again, when it was rebuilt in Miami in the hopes it would become a tourist attraction.

On the opposite coast, the Santa Maria de Ovila monastery remained on the San Francisco pier until 2013, when it was partly reconstructed by the New Clairvaux Abbey in California.

Meanwhile, the monasteries’ original homes hold only the remains deemed unfit for Hearst’s purposes, serving as a reminder of what was lost.

And for many Spaniards, Byne, who died in a car accident in 1935, might also serve as a reminder of what the country lost during a time when cultural treasures were uprooted at the command of the wealthy, even those who lived across the Atlantic Ocean.

www.thinkSPAIN.com

18

LA CULTURA

Fairytale princess November 18th - December 1st 2021

The story of a humble Malaga girl who became Indian royalty

By Amber Edirisinghe

S

HE started out as a Flamenco dancer from a humble background but became a Maharani when she captured the heart of an Indian Maharaja.

Aged just 16, she was whisked away to Paris to be taught how to become a princess and entered into a life of wealth, privilege and high society as she married into royalty in a story that could form the plot of a Disney extravaganza.

It all began in 1890 when Anita Delgado Briones was born in Malaga. Her family moved to Madrid in search of a better life - one that Anita was to find when she bewitched His Royal Highness the Rajah Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala.

In Madrid, Anita and her sister Victoria were scouted at dance lessons by promoters who dubbed them ‘The Camelia Sisters’ and were famed for their beauty, leading famous artists of the day to ask them to model. Being just 16, Anita de-

HANDSOME: The maharajah and Anita in their Indian finery

clined but she was soon to catch the eye of a Rajah.

The sisters had become regular performers at the Central Kursaal, socialising with intellectuals such as Leandro Oroz and Valle-Inclan.

In 1906 many members of Europe’s - and the world’s highest echelons of society came to attend the wedding of King Alfonso XIII and Princess Victoria Eugenia.

Among t h e m

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was the Rajah of Kapurthala. ish writers”, says Eliza.

When Anita spotted the fabulous- In fact the correspondence was ly dressed man in a so successful that white and blue turban just a week after the adorned with a pearoyal wedding Anita Whisked away had received a letter cock brooch, it was love at first sight. to Paris where of proposal from the The pair were able maharajah. to make contact with she was taught After quickly acceptthe help of the ining, she was whisked how to be a tellectuals from the away to Paris Kursaal. When they where she princess began their correwas taught spondence, Anita was how to only 16 so produced ‘very childish’ be a princess by letters, said Elisa Vazquez de Gey, many governesses, authoritative biographer of Anita who showed her Delgado. Some of her letters were etiquette, horse intercepted by Oroz and Valle-In- riding and muclan who felt compelled to ‘help sic among other out’ by editing her writing as it was activities. hilariously juvenile. “It could be Anita and the said that the maharajah fell in love m a h a r a j a h with the letters of the best Span- were married

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ELEGANT: Portrait of Anita and (inset) in European garb

for the first time in Paris, and then again in Kapurthala in 1908, this time in the Sikh rite.

The maharajah had a lavish palace erected for him, reminiscent of Versailles - because he loved all things French, which is where they established their home. This is where Anita’s true reign as the Maharani of Kapurthala began.

Unlike previous maharanis, Anita was very free-willed.

She only wore a sari on official occasions, was frequently in the company of men, painted, hunted, played tennis, and drank.

Anita was also known for her p h i l a n t h ro py during the First World War. She recruited and funded weavers to make clothes in her palace, for the Sikh soldiers on the front lines whose uniforms couldn’t face the cold of Europe.

Life was good and she was popular, but in 1920, the maharani fell very ill. A heart ailment meant she spent a long time recuperating in Kashmir, far from her husband.

As they say, while the cat’s away, the mice will play and the rajah succumbed to temptation.

Several affairs drove a wedge in their marriage. Anita waited until her son Ajit was old enough to be the rightful heir and then they signed a separa-

LA CULTURA

19

November 4th November 17th 2021

OPULENT: The palace modeled on Versailles which was home to the royal couple in India

tion agreement - they never divorced - and she returned to Europe.

She lived in opulence at her Paris mansion and in Spain, and the maharajah sent her a monthly sum of money. She had many admirers, travelled frequently and entertained many important guests.

She moved to Madrid in her final years and The maharajah’s sole request was that if a in 1962 she died of heart diswar broke out where she lived, ease at the age of 72. the British government would Something so unique about take her to a safer place.

She had many Anita’s life is the amount of For this reason, she lived admirers and documentation on it. Accordthrough the Spanish Civil War ing to Elisa ‘she always wrote in a small hotel in Brittany, entertained diaries’.

France, and the Second World many important She even wrote a book, ImpreWar in Portugal. siones de mis viajes por Las Anita was badly affected by guests Indias, about her travels with the death of the maharajah in her husband.

1949.

If anyone led a life worthy of Luckily, he had generously left a book, surely it is Malaga’s very own Maher a large pension as well as the title of harani. maharani.

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The Olive Press - all editions - HP 170x256 - PROMO - November 17/18/19

BUSINESS

Cars cash

A NEW compensation scheme could see millions of drivers claim back between €2,000 and €9,000 after illegal price-fixing was detected at hundreds of car dealerships across Spain.

Networks of dealerships colluded with car manufacturers to overcharge some 10 million drivers who bought off the forecourt between 2006 and 2013.

Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission detected the fraudulent activity and fined those car brands involved an eye-watering €171million.

The penalty had recently been ratified by Spain’s Litigation Chamber in Madrid paving the way for potentially millions of buyers to make compensation claims.

MONEY MATTERS

with Tracy Storer, Senior Partner, Chorus Financial.

Growing up

SPAIN will be the economy with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth over the coming years, according to forecasts by Goldman Sachs.

The global investment banking company predicts an increase of 6.5% in Spain in 2022, contrasting with the 4.5% estimated for this year. This makes Europe’s fourth largest economy the one that will grow the most worldwide.

In the future the bank anticipates Spain’s economy to grow at a rate of 3.9% in 2023, 2.3% in 2024 and 2% in 2025, surpassing forecasts for the euro zone and the main European economies.

PENSION OPTIONS

Money Matters answers all your questions on finance, tax, pensions, investments and more here in Spain. This week we received the following question from Mr John P. from Jalon.

Dear Tracy, I have recently turned 60 and have tried to access my private pension with Aviva.

Unfortunately, they have told me that as a non-UK resident my options are restricted to either take an annuity, draw my entire pot or transfer to another pension plan. Can you explain why this is and why I can’t draw down my pension flexibly as originally planned?

Hi John, Firstly, you are not alone with this issue! We are in the process of dealing with lots of Aviva and other pension schemes, where our clients are facing similar restrictions.

The issue is that when your scheme was originally set up, the manner in which you could access your pension would have been based on what was around then and purchasing an annuity would have been the main feature.

Pensions options have changed since then and buying an annuity may not be as attractive as it once was.

In 2015 the government introduced pension freedoms and with this came flexible drawdown.

This method of accessing your pension has proved to be very popular with pensioners both in the UK and overseas. It is flexible, so it allows you to take what you need from your pension when you need it.

This could just be a regular monthly income, or it could be ad-hoc lump sums (or a blend of both). Accessing your pension in this way allows you to plan around your specific income needs and also allows you to take the Spanish tax system into consideration when planning your income.

The problem with your current Aviva pension is that to access flexible drawdown you would need to transfer to one of their other pension schemes. Unfortunately, these new schemes are only available to UK residents, which leaves you with the limited options while resident in Spain of buying an annuity, or taking your pension to find an external scheme.

Fortunately, there is a solution, as there are several UK pension providers that you could transfer to who offer flexible pensions to non-UK residents. A local adviser such as Chorus can help you explore your options and provide ongoing advice on such pensions.

LA CULTURA Brief respite

Businessman escapes jail sentence for smuggling Picasso

By Alex Trelinski

ONE of Spain's richest men will not be jailed for smuggling a Picasso painting out of the country, because he’s dying.

Ex-Santander Bank vice-president, Jamie Botin, was convicted last year of taking the painting, The Head of a Young Woman, estimated to be worth €26 million, out of Spain.

Appeals against the conviction and sentence failed, with billionaire Botin hit with three years in prison and a €91.7 million fine.

Net worth

His net worth is said to be €1.7 billion. Now a Madrid court has ruled that Botin, 85, will not be jailed following an examination carried out by a court-appointed doctor. No details were given except for the fact that he has a ‘serious incurable disease’.

Botin bought the Picasso painting in London in 1977 and had an export licence refused in 2012. He wanted it auctioned-off at Christies in London.

Authorities said the work

was an official asset of Spanish historical heritage and deemed it to be unexportable.

The painting was nevertheless moved to Botin’s yacht docked in Valencia with the captain given instructions to ‘get it out of Spain’.

The work was seized in July 2015 by French police during a dockside raid in Corsica. It was found hidden among a stack of other paintings and was deliberately left off the craft’s inventory.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

If you have any questions about finance, tax or money matters here in Spain, call +34 965 641 163 or please email them to me on t.storer@chorusfinancial.es with subject ‘Money Matters’.

All emails will get a response, and some may even appear in our column!

Across: 1 Comes, 4 Traumas, 8 Allende, 9 Buddy, 10 Mote, 11 Moroccan, 13 Grand totals, 16 Lifetime, 17 Heap, 19 Karma, 20 In Latin, 21 See here, 22 Bread.

Money Matters answers all your questions on finance, tax, pensions, investments and more here in Spain.

Down: 1 Clammy, 2 Military force, 3 Sins, 4 The bottom line, 5 Arbroath, 6 Medical centre, 7 Saying, 12 Initiate, 14 Flakes, 15 Opened, 18 Glib.

SUDOKU

20

November 18th December 1st 2021

HOPEFUL: Reyes Maroto

Picking up SPAIN'S Tourism Minister, Reyes Maroto, has predicted that foreign visitor numbers could return to pre-pandemic levels next year.

Maroto made her forecast on the back of a surge in tourism during September. Figures from the National Statistics Office showed almost 4.7 million international visitors to Spain- four times the admittedly low number recorded for September 2020.

The total was still well below the 8.8 million total of September 2019.

Germans made up the largest group of foreign travellers, followed by Britons and French visitors.

Maroto said: “These figures confirm a reactivation of international tourism is underway and that in 2022 we could recover pre-pandemic levels.”

She claimed that Spain’s natural tourist attractions and its high level of vaccination were helping to fuel the recovery in numbers. She had previously predicted that 2021 visitor totals would be around half of 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

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22

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

November 18th - December 1st 2021

MAGICAL CASTLE STAYS SPAIN’s hotel castles are among the finest in the world. Many are beautifully preserved, so why not stay the night? What could

be more magical than bedding down like medieval nobility, and waking up to breathtaking views of the coast or countryside

This 13th century town-fortress can be found in Castellar de la Frontera, and it’s one of the few inhabited medi-

eval fortifications today.

It’s located on a mountain in the beautiful Los Alcornocales natural park and is perfect for

nature lovers. On a clear day, from the hotel you can see the Rock of Gibraltar and the coast of Africa.

Castellar Castle (Cadiz) Parador de Cardona (Barcelona)

T

his breathtaking hotel sits within Castle Cardona, which was built in the 9th century. It sits on a hill and overlooks the river valley of the Cardener and the town of Cardona. The fortress offers guests unrivalled landscapes. The Dukes of Cardona, who resided in the castle, were influential within the Crown of Aragon in the 14th century, they were second in power and prestige to the Royal family. The Cardona leaders were known as ‘kings without crowns’ for their vast territories from Catalonia and Valencia to Aragon itself. This castle has a lot of stories to reveal to visitors. The site is currently owned by surviving members of the Aragon dynasty.

Hotel Castillo El Collado (Basque Country)

Parador de Olite (Navarra)

T

he Castle of Olite has been declared a national monument for its stunning beauty. The site resembles a palace more than a castle, and it’s the most significant example of Gothic non-ecclesiastical architecture in Navarre, and one of the most outstanding examples in the world. Within these ancient stone walls, you will find yourself immersed in an oasis of peace and tranquility. You can also stroll through the narrow side streets of Olite and wonder at the coats of arms and the Roman walls. You may even wish to visit Oliva Monastery, where you can see Cistercian monks, dressed in their white tunics, and praying.

Hotel Castillo de Santa Catalina (Malaga)

This charming and charming hotel can be found within this stunning 20th century castle.

It is located in one of the most upscale places in the town of Laguardia in Alava.

Posada Real Castillo de Buen Amor (Salamanca) The 15th-century castle is set in the wondrous Castillian countryside, and is only 27 km away from the historical city of Salamanca. Each of the rooms look out onto either

the central courtyard, or to the meadows which surround it.

The castle has been home to local lords for centuries, and it has been protected as a historical site since 1931.

Arteaga Castle (Basque Country) Parador De Hondarribia (Hondarribia)

D

ating from the 10th century, Parador De Hondarribia served as the residence of Carlos V, the founding emperor of Spain. It offers stunning views of the Bi-

dasoa Estuary. After exploring the castle itself, guests can head into Hondarribia, one of the most charming towns in the region. Hondarribia is the last stop before France.

Built in 1932, this stunning example of architectural elegance has been declared an asset of cultural interest by the Spanish state, and for good reason. It is a property of more ​​ than 3,500 square metres and is located on the Costa del Sol. It has extensive public gardens, spaces and terraces. Guests also enjoy spectacular views of Malaga Bay. It is located in the exclusive El Limonar area of Malaga, and is only 800 meters from La Caleta Beach.

The beautiful Arteaga castle can be found in the heart of Urdaibai biosphere natural reserve and it was originally built in the 13th century. French architects Couverchef and Ancelet rebuilt the Castle again by order of French emperor and empress Napoleon III and Eugenia de Montijo. It is a fine example of neo-gothic style.

The

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FINAL WORDS

​​POLICE have tracked down eight camels and a llama that went on the run from the Quiros circus in Madrid, with the circus blaming animal activists for setting them free.

Pig swill A CADIZ court has dismissed a case where an individual tried to get his brother in law fined €500 for calling him a ‘pig’, saying that it wasn’t serious enough.

Rocked A MAN has been arrested after he tried to sell online a fragment of meteorite that had gone missing from the Natural Science Museum in the 1960s for an out of this world €50,000.

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 2 Issue 53 www.theolivepress.es November 18th - December 1st 2021

The extra mile

ROTTEN APPLE

Expat plagued by calls intended for fruit and veg shop A BRITISH expat has found himself in a pickle after phone calls to a greengrocer started to get rerouted to his home phone.

Charlie Bamber in Torre del Mar has been getting up to 15 calls a month from people trying to place orders at organic fruit and veg shop Bioshop El Cambio in Malaga - and it is sending him bananas.

By Dilip Kuner

Despite his best efforts to stay as cool as a cucumber, he has found himself turning red as a beetroot with rage as the calls have kept on coming for the past four months.

Talking to the Olive Press, he said: “Some of the people calling have been put through to me several times

A CATHOLIC bishop who fell in love with an erotic novel writer has joined a Barcelona-based pig semen exporter.

Xavier Novell resigned in September as Bishop of Solsona in Catalunya. He became Spain’s youngest bishop when he was appointed in 2010. Novell, 52, admitted he had embarked on a relationship with writer Silvia Caballol, 38.

He was quoted as saying that he ‘wanted to do the right thing’.

The ex-bishop and exorcist has now got a job

and they are very apologetic and embarrassed.”

He added: “I have emailed three times asking them to do something about their phone system.”

But the shop owners don’t seem to give a fig about the sales director’s predicament. “They just say ‘nothing can be done’.

“To be honest, I feel a bit of a lemon.”

He adds that he could real-

FROM DEMONS TO SEMEN

with Semen Cardona which exports pig semen to several countries for ‘high-grade swine artificial insemination’. It’s not known what Novell’s role in the firm is. A Semen Cardona spokeswoman said that she ‘cannot disclose information about workers due to data protection laws.

A SPANISH amateur athlete has smashed an incredible world record by pushing his mother in a wheelchair for 26 miles in under three hours.

Dedicated Eric Domingo Roldan pushed himself and his mother Silvia - to the max, in order to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis.

His spectacular effort at the Barcelona Marathon broke the Guinness marathon record for pushing a wheelchair.

Record

ANGRY: Charlie Bamber

ly upset the apple cart if he wanted to.

“I could be telling this shop’s customers anything I like - that they’ve shut down, been taken over by gangsters or that it is far too expensive and their rivals are half the price,” he said.

“Maybe I should be looking around for another grocer and come to some sort of agreement to nick El Cambio’s trade. Now that could be a plum deal!”

Silvia and Eric roared across the finish line, clocking a world record time of two hours 53 minutes and 28 seconds.

Eric averaged 4:07 per km or 6:37 per mile at the 42nd edition of the Zurich Maraton de Barcelona.

It’s not the first time he raced with his mother, as the pair tried to beat the world record last year at the Sevilla Marathon.

His mother Silvia has lived with multiple sclerosis for the last 17 years, and she even survived a serious case of COVID-19 in August.

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