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March 28th - April 10th 2018
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Crystal clear THE Spanish Prime Minister has promised that a deal will be agreed with the United Kingdom over Gibraltar ‘in the coming months’. Mariano Rajoy revealed that bilateral talks between the two countries were ongoing and progressing well. To the relief of many on the Rock, Rajoy also confirmed that the issue of Gibraltar’s sovereignty would not be up for debate. Instead, he said that the priority for Spain was safeguarding the livelihoods of those living in the Campo who depend on Gibraltar for their income. It is believed that 8,000 Spanish workers cross the frontier each day making Gibraltar the second biggest employer in the Andalucian region. “We have already started bilateral talks with the United Kingdom, these are progressing satisfactorily,” he said. “(Any deal should) first ensure that the situation of frontier workers is maintained and improved, which is out priority, and reasonable solutions to a number of issues which have been adversely affecting Gibraltar.” The news comes as the UK revealed the terms of its initial draft withdrawal agreement with the EU which would see Gibraltar leave the union at the same time. The draft confirms that the UK will leave the EU on March 29 2019 but that it will then be given a 21 month transition period whereby it could secure new trade deals. The deals, which would also apply to Gibraltar, would then come into play after the transition period finished providing a degree of certainty for business. It has certainly been a good fortnight of Brexit negotiations for Gibraltar. Crucially, the UK government confirmed that Gibraltar would have barrier-free access to its financial services and online gaming markets after Brexit and until 2020. Continues on Page 4
Vol. 3 Issue 67 www.gibraltarolivepress.com March 28th - April 10th 2018
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family of missing expat appeal to gibraltar and campo residents
Help us find Lisa
A £100,000 reward has been issued for anyone with info that finds Lisa EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez and Aleesha Hansel
THE family of missing Scottish expat, Lisa Brown, have been plastering the streets of Gibraltar with posters in a bid to gather more information. It comes after a new public plea was launched last week in which a reward of up to £100,000 will be offered to those that can help unravel the mystery behind Lisa’s disappearance, after she went missing from her home in Cadiz in November 2015. Brother Craig Douglas, 48, sister Helen, 51, and mum Cathy, 73, were seen putting up reward posters - while wearing t-shirts printed with Lisa’s image - on the Rock this weekend, a short distance from where the expat used to live. The Guardia Civil are currently leading the investiga-
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MISSING: Lisa Brown
DEMANDING ANSWERS: Helen, Craig and Cathy
tion but officials are urging for ‘citizen collaboration’. The reward will be paid out to any providing substantial
information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible or results in identifying the whereabouts of the body. The reward will be valid for six months dating from March 23. A small group is thought to be behind the disappearance of Scottish expat, Lisa Brown, who has been missing since November 2015. The information was exclusively revealed to the Olive Press by brother, Craig Douglas, following a new public plea for information. It comes just weeks after Lisa’s then boyfriend, Simon Corner, 35, who has been the main suspect in the investigation, went on the run. Douglas, 48, believes that now Corner has absconded it could lead to the break down of the ‘wall of silence’ around
his sister’s disappearance among the expat community. Further details of the investigation cannot be revealed at this time. A £100,000 (€114,000) reward has been offered for information on the whereabouts of Lisa, 32, from Alexandria in Dunbartonshire. Speaking of the family’s heartache, Douglas said although
Lisa’s son Marco knows his mum is missing, he does not understand the gravity of what has happened. “His room is absolutely covered in photos of his mum. “But how a 10-year-old can even comprehend to cope with that, we don’t know,” he added. Lisa was reported missing in November 2015 after she failed to pick up Marco from school. He now lives with father Tony. Douglas said the most difficult part for the family is not being able to take flowers to a grave. “These past 28 months have been the most painful of all our lives… I don’t have to tell you that the pain of losing someone never goes away,” said Douglas. The family of Lisa are working with UK NGO Crimestoppers, the British Embassy in Spain and the Cadiz Government in the hopes of finding fresh leads. Director of Crimestoppers, Roger Critchell, said: “We just genuinely don’t know what happened to Lisa.” The Guardia Civil are currently leading the investigation but officials are urging for ‘citizen collaboration’.