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Justice edges nearer THE law is catching up with the bosses of a dodgy expat-run financial advisory firm whose clients lost millions through risky pension investments. Criminal proceedings are now underway against the former directors of Continental Wealth Management (CWM), which was based at the Marriott Hotel, in Denia. The proceedings against boss Darren Kirby (above) and associates involves 15 former clients, represented by a well-respected law firm based in Moraira and Denia. The Olive Press can reveal that a Madrid tribunal gave the green light for legal claims back in January. The judicial probe was ‘damning and comprehensive’ and opened the door to various criminal cases against the former directors. According to our source - a British victim, based on the Costa Blanca the tribunal ruled that the company ‘acted illegally in Spain’, “It also confirmed CWM was not insured and not properly regulated to manage clients’ pension funds,” said the expat, who lost €200,000. “Now we can see a glimmer of light,” added the father-of-two, who asked to remain anonymous, at this stage. The source is part of a wider group of 150 disaffected investors who collectively lost €15.3 million through a total of 308 risky investments. As CWM failed to reply to the Madrid tribunal’s verdict within a 15day window, former clients are able to seek criminal prosecution through the Spanish courts. The boss of the legal firm currently taking action in Denia told the Olive Press this week, it was just a ‘matter of weeks’ before a trial is scheduled. “We have filed a comprehensive case and we expect it to be accepted by the court this month,” he said.
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We’ve got the power! By Joshua Parfitt
DOZENS of expats are joining gypsies and Down syndrome candidates in the most diverse local elections in Spanish history. All around the Costa Blanca, Brits, Scandinavians and other northern Europeans have thrown their hats in the ring in the hope of representing the important international community at a local level. Dozens of foreigners have been
Expats fill up the ballot lists for vital local elections - in which FINALLY foreigners count! included on the various political party lists in a bid to become councillors. In a country - where up to 50% of many coastal towns comprise expats - local elections are vital. The poll this Sunday (May 26) is the ONLY vote, apart from the Eu-
After a rare Velazquez was discovered in New York, the Olive Press explored Spain’s most pricey paintings
See Painting by numbers, page 14
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ropean elections, in which expat residents can take part. “If we leave the EU, this election would be our last chance to have a say in our futures,” explained British expat Terence Curran, who is a candidate with the PP in Javea. The commander of a local firefighting unit is running under mayoral candidate Rosa Cardona in a campaign focusing on young people, security and integration. Meanwhile Andrew Shaw, who moved over from Britain 27 years ago, is running with Podemos in Javea. He hopes to make public transport more eco-friendly, introduce more bicycle lanes, as well as curb emigration inland by controlling rent prices. In the nearby village of Ondara, Candida Wright is running for the PP after spending four years as the head of HELP Denia. “Over these years, I have seen that more assistance is required from within local government for expats,” she explains. Ciudadanos in Moraira are also fielding two British women, Dawn
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Watkins and Linda Gimeno, with passions ranging from animal welfare to helping expats communicate better with the town hall. In what is believed to be the most diverse elections in Spanish history, four young adults with Down syndrome candidates are also standing in Valencia, Extremadura, Sevilla and Murcia. “I want my city to be a pioneer in working with people with disabilities and for us to truly have a voice and a vote,” Sevilla candidate Lopez-Saez de Riba explained. The employee at the Barceló Renacimiento Hotel says ‘people like him’ can offer ‘so much more than people think, including a fresh outlook and a different point of view’. It comes after four gypsies were elected to congress in April’s general elections in a Spain first. The PP, PSOE, Cs and Podemos each brought one gypsy to the country’s house of representatives from Sevilla, Madrid and Tarragona. They have all vowed to chip away at the xenophobia and systemic discrimination affecting gypsies across Spain. Many other gypsies are standing in the local elections around the country.
We promise change, page 6
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