Costa Blanca South/Murcia Olive Press - Issue 64 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

The

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FREE GERMAN police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have announced they have found new evidence in the case. There are suggestions this may be a discovery of fibres from Winnie the Pooh pyjamas in a vehicle driven by the prime suspect Christian Brueckner, the very pyjamas Maddie was wearing on that fateful night 15 years ago. A Portuguese investigator has revealed that it is one of many different clues that point the finger directly at the convicted sex offender. Journalist Sandra Felgueiras announced the discovery on prime time Portuguese television. “I am certain Brueckner did it and the Portuguese police know he worked with an accomplice,” she told the Olive Press. Her SABADO investigation on the CMTV channel managed to establish that the main evidence is a ‘trace of the English girl found by German police inside the motorhome he

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

Maddie McCann 15th Anniversary special

Your expat

See pages 5, 6 and 7

voice in Spain

Vol. 3 Issue 64 www.theolivepress.es May 5th - May 18th 2022

Madeleine alibi trashed By Jon Clarke

drove in 2007’. Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters refused to confirm or deny this week that a DNA link had been discovered in the VW van. However, he may have also been driving a large Winnebago - the first of two - that he acquired around the time. And he was also driving a dark Jaguar. It’s not clear at this stage exactly what traces were found in which vehicle. Neither Wolters or Felgueiras would be drawn further on it, today. But, he explained to Felgueiras - who has

been investigating the case since May 2007 - that he could not confirm it ‘because the suspect has not yet been informed’. The infamous yellow and white van was part of the original appeal put out in a bombshell German police appeal in June 2020.

Missing

It was photographed parked alongside Barranco beach, near Praia da Luz, where threeyear-old Maddie went missing while on holiday on May 3, exactly 15 years ago. The van, which Brueckner had borrowed from a German mechanic friend, had been taken on ‘a potential dummy run’ along the

SUSPECT: Brueckner with the VW camper Costa del Sol to Almeria from Portugal just weeks before Maddie went missing. “It was him. He is guilty,” Felgueiras said. “The key point is that Wolters doesn’t deny it.”

TESTING TIMES

Time up for UK driving licence holders as grace period ends and fines already handed out THOUSANDS of Brits across Spain are now unable to drive after an extension period that allowed Brits to use their British driving licence in Spain ended on Saturday. It means that British residents who have been living in Spain for more than six months are forbidden from driving with a UK licence. The news is expected to impact tens of thousands of Brits living in Spain and also applies to anyone holding a Gibraltarian licence. Darren Parmenter, a councillor on the Costa Blanca, told the Olive Press: “I understand people’s frustration. Everyone was expect-

By George Mathias

ing the deadline to be extended again.” Parmenter revealed he has had a lot of calls from concerned constituents, and it is far from just those who simply forgot to swap their licence in time. “Many people who I have spoken to received false assurances by legal representatives that their interest to swap their UK licence for a Spanish one had been registered on their behalf before the December 2020 deadline.” But in reality it appears the registrations were never made. Parmenter, who is in office in San Fulgencio, added: “Now they are suffering the consequences. These people have been badly let down.” He echoed the advice that has been consistently given by

PROBLEM: Cllr Parmenter says people have been let down

the British embassy that if anyone needs to drive in Spain, they should immediately start the process to book their theory and practical test and not wait for a breakthrough in negotiations. Alastair Carmichael, (pictured left) who has lived in Spain for over 40 years, is now stranded in the small town of Lloreda in Cantabria as he didn’t renew his licence. “I am absolutely screwed,” he said. “I have lived here for 40 years and don’t consider myself an expat.” Carmichael, 62 and originally from Sussex, runs the Carmichael

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Alonso Libros bookshop. “I am 6km from the nearest shop and 30km from my bank. I don’t understand why an agreement can’t be struck, it’s not rocket science!”

Foul

Elsewhere, Brit Stephan Bramley reported what is surely one of the first fines handed out for falling foul of the law change: “For those still driving on a UK licence but a resident, this morning I was fined €200. It was my understanding that I could still drive on my UK licence until October 31 but apparently not,” he said on Facebook. Some reactions on social media were less than sympathetic. Rebecca Grimes on Facebook said: “To be fair we did have about two years warning to change for a Spanish licence as a resident.” The UK has an agreement with all other EU member states

CHARGERS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

on driving licenses allowing Brits to swap their UK licence for that of the country they reside in. Spaniards living in the UK are also permitted to swap their Spanish driving licence for a UK one. Tory MP Ian Duncain-Smith publicly criticised the news: “It’s a case of ‘mañana, mañana’ it’s time [the Spanish government] pull their finger out and do what they agreed,” he said. Negotiations between the UK and Spanish government are still ongoing, but it is impossible to predict when, if ever, a deal will be struck. The average cost of passing a Spanish test, according to autobild.es, ranges from €600 - €2000, varying wildly depending on the region and on driving experience. Were you ‘falsely’ registered with the authorities by a gestor and have now missed your chance to swap your UK licence for a Spanish one? Contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es Opinion Page 6

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CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Fatal attack A PINOSO couple has been jailed for two-and-a-half years each for manslaughter after six dangerous dogs mauled a man, 74, to death in 2016, when they escaped from the couple’s farm.

Camp fire A MAN, 85, died in a fire at his property on La Manga’s ‘Villas Caravanning’ site last Friday. Some 19 homes were burned down at the site in October leaving over 20 people homeless.

Sheesh! SHOTS were fired into the air and customers dove to the floor in a botched raid on an Elche kebab shop. Police arrested two men and found the gun fired blanks.

Still waiting JUST three of Alicante Province’s 10 public hospitals have managed to get surgical waiting lists down to pre-pandemic levels. Only hospitals at Denia, Elche, and Sant Joan are back to normal.

SOME 125 people have been arrested during an 18-month police probe into a gang which set up 30 fake companies to defraud social security. They also illegally obtained Spanish residency for migrants. It’s estimated that around €10 million was made by the criminals via bogus invoices produced by two Elche lawyers. The gang boss operated out of an

May 5th - May 18th 2022

BROTHEL FRAUDSTERS

Elche brothel which acted as a registered address for at least two fake companies. The leader was helped by a local law firm to commit fraud, money laundering, and falsifying documents to legitimise the fake enterprises. Over 100 Policia Nacional officers worked on bringing down the gang

with four phases of arrests and raids. So far, 80 bank accounts holding over €200,000 have been suspended, €246,000 in cash and cryptocurrency seized and 24 vehicles impounded. The sale of 10 properties in Alicante Province has also been blocked.

CASH FOR ARMS

POLICE have arrested two men alleged to be part of a gang that smuggled arms including tanks to wartorn countries in the Middle East and Africa. Properties worth about €10 million were seized in 2020 as part of the operation, with seven arrested at the time. The gang, made up of Latvians, Ukranians and

Gun runners who smuggled TANKS to Middle East detained By Dilip Kuner

Spaniards, were rounded up during raids in Valencia, Alicante and Barcelona. They illegally shipped Russian weapons and explo-

A BOGUS policeman stopped a Ukrainian refugee in Alicante and accused her of selling cocaine before stealing €1,000. The woman, 64, was approached by the man who was speaking aggressively in English and Spanish. He claimed to be a Guardia Civil officer and demanded to search her backpack because she was suspected of being a drug dealer. He then ordered her to open her coat and spotted a bum bag hidden under her sweater. The fake copper removed €1,000 in notes and leafed his way

sives in merchant ships from Ukraine mainly to conflict zones where countries were mostly subject to international arms embargoes. The traffickers transported heavy armaments, including tanks.

Refugee victim through them in his apparent search for cocaine. The man distracted the woman sufficiently to give the impression that he had put back the money. When the frightened woman returned home, she discovered her money had been stolen. Police have arrested a 46-year-old Romanian after viewing security camera footage.

They showed little fear of law-enforcement and even sprang a ship’s captain from jail after he had been arrested by Greek authorities for arms smuggling. Profits were laundered and sent to tax havens with lax financial rules, before being sent back to European bank accounts, mainly in Switzerland and the UK.

Luxury

From there they were transferred to Spain, where the gangsters invested in properties and to finance their luxury lifestyles. The latest two arrests were made in Barcelona and the town of El Masnou in Catalunya, with the men accused of money laundering.

Winging it

AT least 300 hundred racing and carrier pigeons have been stolen in Alicante in the last year. National police in Alicante city conducted an investigation in the Juan XXIII and Mil Viviendas districts. They found hat people were scoping out dovecotes and then coercing children too young to be criminally charged into stealing the birds. The best racing pigeons have a value of €40,000 and trade in them can be hugely profitable. According to police, the birds stolen have an average value of €400.

Dial-a-drug A DRUGS gang who ran a cocaine home delivery service has been smashed. The main sales point of the operation was a Torrevieja bar where drugs were kept in tupperware placed in a kitchen microwave. Seven people have been arrested over the plot. A citizen complained about suspicious activities at an unnamed bar and that drugs were also being sold in a nearby children’s park. Investigators uncovered two brothers as heading the criminal enterprise. A fleet of vehicles, including a taxi, were followed as the gang went to client homes with personal deliveries of cocaine packets

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May 5th - May 18th 2022

OLIVE PRESS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

FORMER Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley is hot on the heels of Kevin Parle, the UK National Crime Agency’s most wanted criminal, who is thought to be hiding out in Spain. Parle is wanted over the murders in Liverpool of 16-yearold Liam Kelly in 2004 and Lucy Hargreaves, a 22-year-old mum who was shot while she slept in 2005 Bleksley is convinced that 6ft 6in Parle, whose nickname is ‘Hemp’, and his network are also behind the disappearance of father and son Danny and Liam Poole, who vanished on a trip to Estepona in 2019. He also thinks that the notorious Kinahan gang may be involved, the same mob that the Olive Press reported has been sanctioned by the US treasury. “It is three years since I started this investigation and I am not giving up, I am just warming up,” Peter told the Olive Press. Peter’s podcast has been downloaded over 5 million times, and his phone has barely stopped ringing since it was released. “I will be carrying on this hunt until one of three things happen; he is captured, I establish irrefutable evidence that proves Parle is dead, or I cast my last breath. It’s as simple as that,” he said. Parle has now been on the run

On the trail Peter Bleksley, the former copper whose hit podcast Manhunt: Finding Kevin Parle has become a national sensation, talks to George Mathias from the British authorities for 17 years. “Thousands of people have helped and continue to help. This is not about me, it’s not even about Kevin Parle, it’s all about Liam Kelly and Lucy Hargreaves and trying to achieve some justice for them,” said Bleksley. PERSISTENT: Peter Bleksley won’t give up

Faith

Bleksley has been less than complimentary about the NCA and Merseyside Police regarding their investiation of the murders and it appears that people seem to have more faith in Bleksley to apprehend Parle, than they do in the police. Bleksley was contacted directly by the fugitive team from the Guardia Civil who asked how they could help in the in-

Prize guy

In the clear SPANISH stinger and convicted money launderer Isabel Pantoja has been cleared at her latest trial. A Malaga court has found her not guilty in a case of ‘punishable insolvency’ over the sale of her plush Marbella villa. The prosecutor had asked for her to be jailed for three years. She had previously been sentenced to two years behind bars and ordered to pay a €1.1 million fine for her part in the infamous Malaya corruption case in Marbella. Sevilla-born Pantoja helped her former lover, Marbella’s then mayor Julian Munoz, launder money, illicitly obtained from Marbella Town Hall.

vestigation. “That was encouraging for me, but. I would suggest, a little bit embarrassing for NCA and Merseyside police as people are coming to me directly over them. “This makes me ask the question, how much do Merseyside police want to find Kevin Parle? I know that certain senior officers choose to believe he is

ACTOR Antonio Banderas has scooped another prize, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RNE Sant Jordi Cinema Awards 2022. The 61-year-old made the trip to Barcelona from his home city of Malaga to pick up the trophy. The Sant Jordi Awards, which were first held in 1957, are hosted by the Catalan branch of Spain’s national radio network RNE. Judges decided to give him the award for ‘his successful film career as an actor, producer and film director, developed both in Europe and in the United States’. Other big names to scoop awards included Benedict Cumberbatch who was declared best actor in a foreign film for The Power of the Dog and Javier Bard as best actor in a Spanish film (The Good Boss/El buen Patron).

dead, they need to be truthful with the public.” Not mincing his words, Bleksley said: “They are not being open, honest or transparent, law enforcement needs to stare itself in the mirror. I don’t think they are looking for him at all, I think they are just paying lip service to it almost as an act of tokenism.” “This is about truth over lies, hope over fear, and seeing Parle in a court of law answering to these allegations.” Asked if he fears retribution from Parle or any of his associates, he said: “I have been trolled, abused, and had photographs of my house posted on social media. On one occasion there was an accurate description of the bedroom I sleep in. I have no doubt these were people who were acting on Kevin’s behalf, to intimidate me, but they have all failed and I have never been busier.”

BOOTED OUT SPAIN has been thrown out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France after fielding an ineligible player in two qualifying matches. Spain secured a World Cup place for the first time since 1999 with a 33-28 victory over Portu-

gal in March to finish second in the Rugby Europe Championship. But a judicial committee imposed a 10-point deduction. It means Romania will take Spain's place next year in France.

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FORMER tennis champ Boris Becker has been jailed for two years in the UK for hiding assets to avoid loan repayments. The German, 54, and a six time grand slam champion, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court. Becker, pictured with girlfriend Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, had declared bankruptcy in June 2017, being unable to repay a loan he took out to buy a luxury property in Mallorca. In 2019 his luxury estate, Son Coll, was put on the market, but not before a group of Germans squatters had occupied it. Shortly after their eviction a pornography film was filmed onsite, featuring veteran pornstar ‘Dolly Buster’. Becker’s debts had spiralled to £11 million despite him earning around £120 million from a lucrative sporting career. At the trial Judge Deborah Taylor claimed he had shown ‘no remorse or acceptance of guilt.’ Earlier this month, jurors found Becker guilty of removal of property as well as two counts of deliberately concealing debt.

Links

Speaking of the Kinahan mob - Christy and sons Daniel and Christy Junior - he said: “They have endless links to so much of the criminality that goes on here on the Costa del Sol,” explained Bleksley. “The DEA are on to them, and believe you me they do not give up. There’s going to be a lot of people feeling increasingly uncomfortable. There are a lot of consequences heading the way of criminals on the Costas.” The podcast is available on BBC sounds.

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4 www.theolivepress.es Sanchez hacked A MOBILE phone owned by Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez was hacked twice in May 2021 according to the Spanish government. The unit was hit by the same Pegasus spyware that Catalan politicians have accused the national government of using against them. Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, was also hacked last June.

Illicit

Presidency Minister, Felix Bolaños, said: “We have no doubt that this is an illicit, unauthorised intervention. “It comes from outside state organisms and it didn’t have judicial authorisation,” he added. Bolaños said a significant amount of information had been obtained via the hacks and the National Court will be investigating the matter. Pegasus spyware is only available to governments and its use is highly controversial. Cybersecurity experts working for the University of Toronto last week produced a report that claimed extensive Pegasus cyber-hacking of over 60 Catalan separatist politicians.

NEWS

CALLS have been made for more police to be put on duty at Spanish airports including Valencia and Alicante to avoid massive queues this summer holiday season. President of the Lineas Aereas association, Javier Gandara, made the plea after a reported 3,000 passengers missed flights from Madrid airport during the Easter holidays due to long queues at passport control thanks to Brexit. Airlines complained that the blame for the delays experienced by their customers lay with insufficient numbers of police in pass-

May 5th - May 18th 2022

COVID VICTIM

Cops needed port controls. Gandara said: “It will be the first summer when passports for travellers to the UK have to be checked and the first when air traffic is likely to be normal, now that the British Government has lifted all the restrictions imposed because of the pandemic. “There have already been problems at the airports over Easter and we need to avoid this happening in peak season. That’s why it’s important that enough police officers are assigned to handle the

high numbers of passengers.” However, the passport stamping system is supposed to be ditched from this monthr, to be replaced with an automated EU Entry/Exit System (EES).

AT LAST!

Capable

Brits who’ve lived in Spain for more than 15 years get the vote back BRITS who have lived abroad for more than 15 years, are now able to vote in UK elections. A new law, called the Votes for Life bill, gives thousands of Brits who reside in Spain and other countries the chance to influence UK general elections. The previous law prevented tens of thousands of Brits abroad from voting in the EU referendum.

The move follows 15 years of campaigning by expats, including from the Conservatives Abroad group. Christine Rowlands, chair of Conservatives Abroad, told the Olive Press: “This is 20 years of work in the making and we are overjoyed. It will make a huge difference to the people in the UK.” The law had been challenged by 100-year-old

By George Mathias

Harry Shindler in the High Court in 2016 and in the European Court of Justice in 2018. It is estimated that around 3.5 million brits permanently reside abroad. Centenarian Shindler said: “This is a historic moment and Britons all over the world will be celebrating.” The new law applies to all British citizens living overseas who have been previously registered to vote or have previously had a reg-

ILL health has forced a British councillor to resign from Los Alcazares council after being in the post for just 13 months. Jo Scott filled a vacancy in March last year and held the International Residents, Equality, Markets, and Social Policy portfolios. The PSOE councillor, 54, said she had to step aside due to health issues, over a year before the next municipal elections.

istered address in the UK. The law change also allows for postal and proxy voting for those who reside abroad.

Impact

Previously, the UK government said: “Decisions made by the UK Parliament impact British citizens who live overseas and so they should have a say in UK Parliamentary General Elections.”

Search off, hunt on POLICE say a Murcia accountant faked his death and disappeared with €600,000 after his car went off a cliff over two months ago. Reports suggest that Jose Luis Galiana Blanca, 50, is in another European country with the cash missing from a bank account. His vehicle was discovered in the sea at Punta Prima, south of Torrevieja, on February 17. The vehicle was empty with the engine still running and the lights on. A few belongings including a mobile phone were discovered. Police divers spent over a week combing the area to find a body. The Guardia accessed images of a man leaving the cliff area shortly after the ‘accident’ and have officially called off the search for his body and launched a hunt to track him down. Galiana recently contacted a friend to say he was in financial difficulty and had ‘taken some money’. Then an associate of Galiana filed a complaint saying that a bank account containing €600,000 had been cleared out.

SPAIN has frozen 12 bank accounts, seized three luxury yachts and 23 properties linked to five Russian oligarchs. The sanctions imposed by EU institutions are coordinated in Spain by a recently created body and are linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A second body has been created and is responsible for coordinating the reception

Scott said: “I recently had Covid-19, the consequences of which have made it incompatible for me to continue working as a councillor. “It is not something you can do if you are not fully capable,” she added. Scott, who also runs the La Zona restaurant in Los Narejos, said that 'several personal changes' had also influenced her decision, including caring for an elderly family member.

Happy ending A BRITISH man who went missing in Murcia for over 24 hours has been found with the help of the local community on social media. John Lyman left his Condado de Alhama home at 11:30am on Monday to go for a bike ride, and was not seen until over 24 hours later. He was found at 10pm on Tuesday evening and is now in a Cartagena hospital. According to a Facebook post made to plead for information on John’s whereabouts by friend Irene Curtis, the Brit is ‘a little confused but otherwise seems ok’.

Together

Updating the post when John was eventually found, Irene thanked those in the local community who pulled together and the 608 people who shared the post. “Thanks to everyone who shared this post and reported sightings of him, it definitely helped us locate him”, Irene said online. John was not carrying a mobile phone or wearing a cycle helmet, and his partner Jane had grown worried when he did not return home for lunch, given that he does not usually venture too far out the local area.

FROZEN AT LAST of refugees arriving in Spain, who now tally more than 130,000. The number of Ukrainian children attending school in Spain currently exceeds 15,400 and 72,000 applications for temporary protection have been granted.

15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MADDIE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS

Noose tightens MADELEINE McCann suspect Christian Brueckner will be charged with the abuse of a 10-year-old girl on the Algarve this month due to his ‘terrible teeth’. The German sex offender, 45, has revealed in a letter from prison that the young German victim insisted he had teeth ‘like a rabbit’. The girl, Joana, had been sexually assaulted by a blondehaired attacker, who spoke German, on a beach near Praia da Luz, just a month before Maddie went missing. The naked man, who had first spoken English to her, had run off from Salema beach when the girl’s sister raised the alarm and her parents ran over to help. They had filed a detailed police report the following day, giving an excellent description of the

Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner confirms he is being probed over five other sex attacks

(ENGLISH SPEAKING)

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attacker, who ran away towards a beach car park, where Brueckner is known to have stayed. The family, from south Germany, whose surname we are not naming for legal reasons, have since confirmed to the German BKA police that he was the assailant. Brueckner has now confirmed he is being prosecuted over the attack and also confirmed he is being probed over ‘at least five open cases’.

MADELEINE McCann suspect Christian Brueckner is penning a book. The German sex offender, made an arguido, or official suspect in Portugal, last month, is writing it in prison, he has revealed. In a remarkable six-page letter written to an American blogger, he insists it will be ‘a bestseller’ with a plot as good as anything by novelist John Grisham. “I know, all of the things I say are hard to believe. John Grisham couldn’t find a better story for a book,” he wrote in the missive sent from his prison cell in Germany. Brueckner, 45, was pouring his heart out to anti-McCann supporter Isabelle McFadden, who insists he is innocent.

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In the letter to blogger Isabelle McFadden he writes: “I know already about at least five open cases against me. All of them including raping and abusing.” In the case of the Salema attack in April 2007, he said he had received ‘the complete file to read’. But he claims the BKA have ‘manipulated’ evidence in ‘an unprofessional way’ in partic-

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In the letter also addressed to fellow McCann troll Ben Thompson, he wrote that he had been dreaming of being a writer for 20 years. He insisted it would make a lot of money as he was the most famous German in the world, adding darkly that ‘Hitler was Austrian’. The prisoner also compared himself to infamous gangster John Dillinger, who became America’s Public Enemy Number 1 in the 1930s.

ular, focussing on his teeth and protruding jaw. He continued that the BKA then sourced a 1999 prison dentist check up file and wrote that he had a protruding jaw. But he insisted it is ‘a fake’ and it is ‘definitely not me’ and that he will be able to prove it is not me when the case gets to court. However, in a further letter, written more recently to a German investigator, he admits that the case against him is extremely strong.

Charged

The letter given to the Olive Press by documentary film maker Jutta Rabe reads: “In the case of Joana the investigation file does not leave a single doubt that I was (the attacker).” Olive Press police sources in Germany meanwhile told the paper he will be formally charged with three sex crimes this month.

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NEWS FEATURE

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OPINION Wrong man for the job EXPERTS say that the search for Maddie has so far cost in excess of £13 million. This is an eye-watering sum of money made even more inexplicable by the persistent failings of authorities to uncover hard evidence of what happened to Maddie. But is it any wonder that finding the truth has been so difficult when the former lead investigator continues to believe that the McCann’s were in fact the culprits of the grave crime? Such a claim has been persistently debunked. But, given that in those early days lead investigator Goncalo Amaral was so obviously prejudging what happened,is it any wonder that the case remains unsolved 15 years later?

JUSTICE FOR MADDIE INCHES NEARER

15 years of pain could soon be over as global interest surrounds a German becoming an official suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, writes Jon Clarke, author of My Search for Madeleine

E had just finished a light lunch in solitary confinement at Oldenburg Prison when five men pulled him over and ushered him into a side

room. As shocked as his fellow inmates and with his lawyer opting not to attend, Christian Brueckner, 45, had to think quickly. The convicted paedophile and rapist (pictured below) opted to say nothing, crossing his arms and staring at the five policemen - two Portuguese and three Germans - who were finally grilling a man over one

Wheels coming off FOLLOWING the news that thousands of Brits are now unable to drive in Spain, the online reaction has largely been one of schadenfreude with many seeing it as some kind of Brexit comeuppance. But the picture is far more complex. Whilst the Olive Press has received stories of people who simply didn’t get round to swapping their licence, we have heard in equal measure stories from those who were told on legal authority that their formal declaration to renew had been submitted long before the deadline, when in reality it had not. In any case, it is bizarre that no agreement has yet been struck, especially when you consider the UK has an agreement in place on this issue with all other EU member states and, even more astonishingly, that Spaniards resident in the UK are able to swap their licence for a British one. PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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of the world’s most baffling crimes. Describing himself as the ‘most known bad person in the world’, Brueckner is certainly globally famous going on the dozen-plus interview requests I have fielded from as far as Australia and Chile over the last 10 days. I have always thought Maddie was abducted and my heart missed a beat on hearing the recent announcement that Brueckner was now an official suspect, particularly having recently put him on the cover of a book I published on the case last year. It has been a long time in coming since a German prosecutor announced in June 2020 that ‘Christian B’ was the ‘prime suspect’ in the abduction of Madeleine McCann. While the wheels of justice might seem to be grinding slowly, the German prosecutors have been working hard to get their ducks in a row before charging their dangerous felon with more crimes. For the last six years between 10 and 100 German officers have been tasked with bringing him to justice. In Braunschweig alone - where the Madeleine investigation began in 2016 - they have been probing him on at least six separate crimes, I can reveal. Lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters is imminently planning to lay four charges at his door, three involving children and one the vicious rape of a 20-year-old Irish woman.

Como Pedro por su casa ‘Taking a liberty’ ‘Like Pedro in his house’, is a generally derogatory way to describe a person who seems comfortable in an environment not their own. It refers to the Aragon king, Pedro I, and his easy victory against the Muslim caliphate at the battle of Alcoraz in 1096 which, in turn, led to the conquering of Huesca. The original phrase is likely to have been ‘Like Pedro through Huesca’ but the word ‘casa’ appeared over time. These days, it means taking advantage of someone.

A caballo regalado, no le mires el diente ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ Basically the same in English: ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ and is used as a reminder to be grateful for a gift and not find fault in it. It refers to the ancient practice of determining a horse’s age by looking at the state of its teeth.

En boca cerrada no entran moscas ‘Silence is golden’ ‘No flies can enter a closed mouth’ advises one to keep quiet on certain subjects or face the consequences – or basically ‘Think before you speak’. It is believed to have originated in the 16th century, during the reign of Charles I who was famous for his Hapsburg chin, a congenital condition that caused a distinctive protruding jaw and left him frequently open-mouthed. During a visit to Calatayud, a local once told him: ‘Close your mouth, your Majesty, the flies of this kingdom are mischievous’.

He and his co-prosecutor Uta Lindemann have ‘nearly everything they need’ to bring a murder charge over Madeleine, who went missing at the age of three (she would be 18 today) from her holiday home in Praia da Luz, on the Algarve, on May 3, 2007. That the Portuguese also now think he is guilty of the crime is nothing more than a convenient side-show in this infamous missing person case. Naming him as an ‘arguido’ (which translates as ‘person of interest’ or ‘official suspect’) on April 20, means the magnifying glass zooms ever closer on his movements in early 2007. The Portuguese police now have years to continue probing him and don’t have to worry about the statute of limitations running out as they otherwise would have on May 4, which will be 15 years since the crime. Being able to get into prison and talk to the suspect was a major coup for the pair of PJ officers sent by the Portimao Justice department. Their investigation is being led by the DIAP in Faro (Portimao section) with the assistance of the Judiciary Police (PJ), and ‘with the cooperation of the English and German authorities’. They had been negotiating for months to visit Brueckner at the prison and were joined by three detectives from the German

Watch what you say Quintessential Spanish proverbs with ancient origins to impress your friends

NCE you have more than a basic grasp of Spanish you’ll begin to realise that in common parlance conversation is peppered with delightful and sometimes downright puzzling phrases. Every language around the world has typical adages, sayings that are so often used that native speakers

know their meaning, even if their historical origins have been forgotten. But for the outsider who is learning the lingo, these refrains can leave you scratching your head. Here is Elena Goçmen Rueda’s pick of her favourite proverbs with origins that lie far back in Spanish history:

A buenas horas, mangas verdes ‘You’ve missed the boat’ Meaning ‘Good timing, green sleeves’ it is used sarcastically for someone failing to do something in time or arriving too late. It has its origins in the time of the Catholic monarchs when a particular brotherhood, whose members wore green sleeves, was charged with capturing bandits and wrongdoers. They chased them from town to town but, according to legend, this early police force had to be roused by church bells which provided ample time for a getaway and left them with a reputation for arriving too late to make an arrest.

Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda ‘You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’ ‘A monkey dressed in silk is still a monkey’, it reminds us to accept what we are and that faults cannot be hidden by mere cosmetic improvements. Tomas de Iriarte, a Spanish neoclassical poet, wrote the fable La Mona inspired by this saying in 1782, but the exact origin is unknown. The equivalent could be ‘You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’ or more colloquially ‘you can’t polish a turd’.

May 5th - May 18th 2022

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AUTHORITATIVE: Clarke was first on the scene as police arrived

SHAMEFUL: Former leader of the investigation still claims McCanns are gullty, while (right) Brueckner’s motorhome BKA police headquarters, in Wiesbaden. While going through accepted Europol procedures, there is ‘no way’ the Germans are going to allow him to be extradited to Portugal. “All the good police work that established him as the prime suspect happened here and he will definitely be charged by the German authorities,” explained a BKA source. “We are currently going through the official extradition paperwork with Italy, where he was last a free man. It will take a couple of months.” The interview at Oldenburg prison - dubbed ‘Germany’s Alcatraz’ for its incredibly high-security - lasted ‘just over an hour’. “The Portuguese turned up with a list of 20 questions, but he refused to answer a single one,” added the source. It came as ‘a massive surprise’ for Brueckner when he walked out of lunch (he eats alone, exercises for one hour alone and meets no other prisoners) and was con-

El perro del hortelano, ni come ni deja comer al amo ‘Temptress’ or ‘prick-teaser’ ‘Being led on’ or ‘blue ball’ ‘The gardener’s dog neither eats, nor lets his master eat’ and is used to describe a person who not only doesn’t enjoy something themself but also prevents others from enjoying it. Often only the first part (‘El perro del hortelano’) is used and the second part is taken for granted. First emerging in the 11th century, the proverb is famously the title of a play from the Golden Age, a comedy written between 1613 and 1615 by playwright Lope De Vega.

La mancha de una mora, con otra mora se quita ‘Plenty more fish in the sea’ ‘A blackberry stain is removed with another blackberry’ may sound like an old laundry tip, but it has an entirely different meaning. This Spanish proverb is used to explain that a broken heart is best mended with a new love affair or, as the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau said, ‘There is no remedy for love but to love more’.

fronted by the group. His lawyer Friedrick Fulcher had been advised of the interview and charges. “But he said he did not have time to go, it was too far away and it would ‘not change anything anyway’,” added the source. He later told Bild newspaper however, that it was merely a ‘procedural issue’ and the media should not ‘overestimate’ the moves. But I believe it would be foolish to underestimate them. Making Brueckner an official suspect will help to stem the cynical whispering campaign by the thousands of trolls, who still believe the parents are guilty of killing their daughter. The former chief of police who led the original investigation, Goncalo Amaral, still implies they are guilty and even wrote a best-selling book on his beliefs. It is little known that the ex-detective was made an arguido - and later convicted for corruption and the covering up of a beating of a false confession - over another missing child case just ONE day before Maddie went missing. This is the man whose force failed to close the border for 48 hours and failed to stop over two dozen people traipsing through the crime scene during the first 12 hours. The facts today point the finger directly at Brueckner. As I laid out in my book, he has not only confessed his links to the crime to a number of former friends, girlfriends and associates, but was also on the phone for half an hour in the vicinity of the abduction less than two hours before Maddie went missing. In addition, he knew well and regularly burgled the Ocean Club holiday complex she was staying at and kept dozens of stolen passports, watches and wallets at his home, just outside Praia da Luz. According to one girlfriend of the time, he went on a long journey north that night in his winnebago, a vehicle in which he claimed he could smuggle children ‘in a secret compartment’. One of his flatmates Micha Tatschl (who later became a cell mate) told me he spent a lot of time on the dark web and regularly ‘talked about snatching children and selling them in Morocco’. And then he was caught telling a friend in a Skype chat that he ‘wanted to trap’ a small child and keep her for days. And let’s not forget that a few years ago police dug up a stash of ‘up to 20,000’ pictures, videos

and other documents, some almost certainly linked to the case, at an isolated box factory, owned by Brueckner in Lower Saxony. Crucially, he himself appeared in some of the videos that involved rape, bestiality and child porn. And his most recent conviction was for the sadistic rape of an American pensioner, 72, in her home in Praia da Luz, which he carried out on film, in 2005. He got seven years after being caught when police matched a hair of his at the villa, which is just 500 metres from the Ocean Club. The list goes on, but Brueckner has been prosecuted at least 17 times twice for child sex abuse - and probably should have been many more times. I’ve been investigating this sadistic narcissist for 22 months now and carefully catalogued his sick and sordid life, but maybe the last word should go to Brueckner himself. A man keener to use the media than proper legal channels to prove his innocence, his so-called ‘alibi’ will be announced in a documentary set to air on Spain’s AMC crime channel on May 3. And in one letter, published by Mail Online last week, he wrote: “I made some silly mistakes when I was younger but who hasn't?” Then referring to the Maddie case he continued: “Perhaps I was a suspect after all they found out about me. Drug dealer, breaking into houses, living in cars and there was something with kids when I was 17.” It is, as if, from the age of 18, when he became an adult he suddenly became a fine upstanding member of society.. Fortunately the German police don’t believe his alibi and as well as having a dozen key witnesses, they also have some sort of document that proves his guilt. It is why Hans Christian Wolters says he is ‘100% certain’ he is guilty and why I’m convinced this evidence will soon damn him to eternity and once and for all solve this abhorrent, pernicious crime that has troubled the world for a decade and a half. Jon Clarke’s book My Search for Madeleine is available on Amazon

LISTEN UP!

IT back and relax. The definitive book on the complicated Madeleine McCann case is now available as an audiobook. My Search for Madeleine by Olive Press editor Jon Clarke is being released this week to tie in with the 15th anniversary of her abduction in Portugal in 2007. Whether you are a frequent traveller or busy housewife/husband, all 11 hours, 14 minutes of the 46-chapter tome can be heard on leading platforms including Amazon’s Audibl and iTunes. Narrated by Clarke himself, it spans the early years after the British toddler was snatched from her holiday home on the Algarve to a deep dive into the life of the prime suspect Christian Brueckner over the last two years. The investigative journalist - who was the first to arrive in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007 - has visited Germany twice and Portugal dozens of times while researching the book. As well as also finding numerous links to Brueckner in Spain, he met and interviewed dozens of friends of the German paedophile, who was made an ‘arguido’, or official suspect, in Portugal on April 20. Listen carefully as he builds a painstakingly detailed case against the 17-times convicted sex offender and exposes the many flaws in the original police investigation. “This is a world class True Crime book and a solid piece of public interest journalism,” said former Sunday Mirror Investigations Editor Graham Johnson. “Tirelessly researched and told me a lot of things I didn’t know about the case,” added Martin Brunt, Sky News Crime Correspondent. “A Herculean effort,” insisted Robbyn Swan and Anthony Summers, authors of Looking for Madeleine. The book was created thanks to the excellent services of www.bookmarketing.pro

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: stops women going for an abortion be1-ingSpain hassled by pro life protestors outside clinic as Brits fall foul of beefed up Spa2- Confusion nish border rules crossing from Gibraltar in Spain 2021 full list of dates 3- Bankforholidays every Autonomous Community probed over vicious beating of 4- Russians Ukrainian man inside Costa Blanca bar in Spain Concerns raised after Spanish police tighten 5-checks on Brit travelers crossing border from Gibraltar

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REEF RELIEF

Project to recover coral in danger off Spanish coast By George Mathias

SCIENTISTS are attempting to restore the coral reefs of La Herradura in Granada. The project is being conducted by the NGOs Coral Soul and Coral Guardian in partnership with the universities of Cadiz, Sevilla and Granada. So far the team have successfully introduced nursery-grown corals some 30 metres deep. The reefs between La Herradura and neighbouring Almuñecar are home to lots of endangered marine life, but have been decimated in recent years thanks to pollution and climate change. The ecosystem is home to a unique coral species called candelabrum which is not found anywhere else in the world. Waste The team has also removed 800 kilograms of waste from the reef, most of which had been caused by fishing. The team said: “We are calling for the need to support the proposal to ban recreational fishing, it is necessary to protect the area. “We are not against fishing, but we are against the consequences of the activity in Punta de la Mona. There are many places to practise the sport on the coast.” The NGOs are also putting on environmental awareness activities and are organising a conference with Almuñecar town hall.

GREEN

May 5th - May 18th 2022

FINCA CORTESIN golf club, which hosts the 2023 Solheim Cup, has scooped an environmental award. The club in Casares (Malaga) announced it has been become the first golf course in Spain to be awarded the Acosol seal of quality, an award which recognises ‘exceptional water management methods’. For 15 years the club has been using a water recycling system which replenishes the irrigation using regenerated water. Managing Director and President of the club,

On the green Vicente Rubio Morch said: “The award is a culmination of many years of hard work from the team at the resort and it aptly reflects the positive moves we are making to guarantee our sustainability position, ahead of hosting next year’s Solheim Cup.” The tournament will see the best female golfers from Europe and the US go head-to-head on September 18-24.

EU trying to force Spain to clean up its act

SPAIN IS FILTHY

T hurts me to say it (I love Spain) but it’s true that Spain is filthy. And I’m not the only one who thinks this. Supermarkets across Europe (notably Tesco, Sainsburys, Lidl and Aldi) are threatening to boycott purchasing fresh produce from Andalucia and Murcia. Why? Because Spanish law is lax and ineffective. The government and regional authorities have failed miserably to clamp down on illegal irrigation practices in the Mar Menor and the Donana wetlands. The supermarket chains are right. No one with a conscience will buy and consume fresh fruit and vegetables from regions where the intensive farming practices are clearly destroying the ecosystem and endangering life. Last week these massive supermarket chains demanded in writing that the government of Andalucia take action against the illegal irrigation in the protected Donana national park. I think it’s good news for the environment and consumers when Tesco publicly states that ‘we do not buy lettuce from Campo de Cartagena because they do not meet environmental requirements’. Thumbs up to Tesco! Spain is a massive producer for Europe. • Last year Murcia exported 2.7 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables (€2,900 million worth). • 70% of strawberries grown in Andalucia go to the international market. • Spain is the biggest producer of blueberries in Europe and the second largest producer of raspberries Wouldn’t it be better to grow this produce in an environmentally aware manner?

POLLUTION: One of the main culprits in Spain is the massive scale pig farming

Green

THE EU TAKES SPAIN TO COURT AGAIN

The EU law is very simple. Even politicians should be able to understand it. If a town has more than 15,000 inhabitants then it HAS TO COMPLY with EU legislation regarding sewage treatment. Spain has already been fined millions of euros. And now it faces far bigger action from the EU. The European Union is taking action against 133 towns across the country. The first case resulted in a €12.3 million fine against the Junta de Andalucia related to four towns - Coin , Nerja , Alhaurin el Grande and Estepona. Estepona responded and has resolved its issues. If Estepona can do it ,why can’t other towns? The ‘guilty list’ is long and makes for painful reading. The length of this list serves to reinforce how incapable Spain is of acting within the European guidelines. A good example of Spain’s inaction is Cartama. Cartama’s sewage is being released into the Guadalhorce river, along with sewage from Alhaurin el Grande. This will carry on until the new Malaga-Norte sewage plant is built. Work hasn’t even started yet! With luck it may come into operation late 2025. Really! FERTILISING US TO DEATH Nitrate water pollution is threatening people and ecosystems in Spain. It’s not just in Spain.......approximately half of Europe’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters contain dangerous substances. One of the main culprits in Spain is the massive scale pig farming. Spain is Europe’s biggest pig meat exporter. Castilla y Leon is one of the most prolific pig farming areas in Europe. If you visit Zamora the farms are easy to see. The problem they cause is nothing new. Pig manure is collected in tanks and then spread across neighbouring fields. When the ground cannot absorb any more, the excrement leaks into the groundwater and contaminates it. In certain areas of Spain’s pig farming regions the groundwater nitrate levels are up to 400% higher than

MAR MENOR: several ‘mass death’ events have left tonnes of dead fish on the shore the legal threshold of 50mg per litre. The problem continues to grow. According to Greenpeace data in 2000 around 60 municipalities were affected by nitrate pollution in the region of Castilla y Leon. That figure is now over 700. Once again Spain’s inability to conform has been referred to the European Court of Justice. If a country like Spain is willingly a member of the EU, how can it blatantly disregard the law? Instead of grasping the nettle and resolving the problem, it chooses to mask the problem. In Mar Menor, the beach of Los Nietos is raked every morning to collect rotting algae on the shoreline. Algae grows uncontrollably, nourished by nitrates from farm fertilisers. Data shows that tonnes of nitrates go into the lagoon every day. Complaints are systematically ignored. Get this.....The President of the Campo de Cartagena Farmers Association, Manuel Martinez Madrid, said: “There’s no reason to believe it contributes to the poor state of the Mar Menor.” How can he sleep at night? Maybe the brown envelopes under his bed help. All the problems caused by lack of sewage treatment and nitrate pollution are man made. I hope the EU takes the Spanish government properly to the cleaners.

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es

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25/1/22 16:49

LA CULTURA

FIND: A hidden world in Osuna

Digging up the past LIMESTONE burial vaults dating back 2,500 years have been discovered during building works in the Andalucian town of Osuna. The rare archeological find was uncovered during building work to upgrade water supplies in the town which lies 90km east of Sevilla on the way to Antequera. The hidden burial vaults date back to the fourth or fifth century BC when the Iberian peninsula was occupied by the Phoenicians, long before the Romans settled the town, which they named Urso. Archaeologists have so far uncovered eight burial vaults linked by staircases and atriums which they described as similar to necropolises discovered at the ancient site of Tharros on Corsica and in the Tunisian sites of Kerkouan and Sahel. However, such a find is ‘unprecedented in inland Andalucia’. Similar burial grounds have been discovered along the coast but are rare so far inland and it is suggested Osuna may have been a settlement long before the Romans arrived. Mario Delgado, who is leading the team of archaeologists at the site said the find had been ‘completely unexpected’ and due to the age and state of conservation unlike any other archaeological find in the region. “To find a necropolis from the Phoenician and Carthaginian era with these characteristics – with eight well tombs, atriums and staircase access – you’d have to look to Sardinia or even Carthage itself,” he said.

May 5th - May 18th 2022

Looking Rosalia SPANISH superstar Rosalia has announced a massive world tour that kicks off in Andalucia and takes in 12 dates in Spain. The tour to promote breakthrough album Motomami will include 46 shows in 15 countries beginning on July 6 with a gig in Almeria before moving on to cities including Fuengirola, Sevilla, Granada, Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Barcelona, La Coruña and Palma. From Spain, the singing sensation will go on to South America to performing in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Argentina before moving north for a series of concerts across the US scheduled for Boston, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco among others. Later this year, she will return to Europe with concerts scheduled in Portugal, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium the UK and ending in Paris.

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OP SUDOKU

BENIDORM’S Plaza de la Hispanidad will host a pre-Eurovision Song Contest party on May 14. The 4,000 capacity venue will host live acts ahead of three giant screens relaying the Contest final from Turin at 9 pm. Broadcaster and model Nieves Alvarez will take to the stage and announce the results of the Spanish jury to the international viewing audience. The party follows up the first Benidorm Fest in January that saw Chanel chosen as Spain’s Eurovision representative with ‘SloMo’. May’s event is co-organised with state broadcaster RTVE.

PISSARRO THE ACTION

Fight over Nazi-looted painting on display in Museo Thyssen A JEWISH family is fighting a Spanish museum for a priceless painting they were forced to surrender to the Nazis.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD 1

BIG EUROVISION NIGHT

Across 1 Source of fibre (4) 4 Chic male messed about in the laboratory (8) 8 Take too much (8) 9 Little girl’s little girl (4) 10 Iced (5) 11 --- Donan castle (6) 13 Round directional aerial (4) 14 “Bad idea” (3) 15 “They also serve who only stand and ---” (John Milton) (4) 16 Shepherd or measles (6) 18 Sea north of Australia (5) 20 Wound by piercing with a sharp object (4) 21 Fitted out (8) 22 Make-believe (8) 23 Type of ice sheet (4) Down 2 Company with high staff turnover (9,4) 3 “Capital” of East Anglia (7) 4 Wooden-soled shoe (4) 5 Common sense Stevie Wonder lacks (8) 6 Private film-maker, informally (5) 7 Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop flight across it (8,5) 12 Practise (6,2) 15 “... not with a bang, but a ---” (T S Eliot) (7) 17 --- Butler, in “Gone With the Wind” (5) 19 Trick (4)

All solutions are on page 15

Lilly Cassirer and her husband surrendered Camille Pissarro’s impressionist masterpiece Rue Saint-Honore dans l’apres-midi. Effet de pluie to the Third Reich ahead of the holocaust in 1939, but their heirs - who have been involved in a legal battle for 20 years - want it returned. The piece, created in 1897 and worth well in excess of €40 million, has been held at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid since 1993. The museum argues it has legal ownership but the family’s lawyer David Boies disagrees. He said: “This is an issue that is critically important not only in terms of trying to right terrible wrongs that had their origin in the Nazi persecution of the Jews but also to establish principles that are very important to what's happening now in the world.” A California court’s decision

By Dilip Kuner

in 2020 that the case should proceed under US Federal law rather than California

Burning book DENIA photographer John Lillie has produced a book cataloguing one of the city’s most spectacular celebrations the annual Correfoc held in July. Correfoc, which is also the book’s name, translates into English as ‘Fire Run’ and takes place on the main street of Marques de Campo. John’s photos capture the heady mix of fireworks, music and processions led by the ‘Dimonis Polopins’ - devils with hoods. Dancing to the sound of a rhythmic drum group, the devils set off their fireworks among crowds of viewers. The spectators that participate dress specially to protect themselves against small burns and try to get as close as possible to the devils, running with the fire. John’s book also features a potted history of Correfocs that originated 800 years ago in Catalunya. He keeps his camera as a constant companion wherever he goes and especially focuses on people. “I observe life by capturing the expression and personality of the human face,” he said. John has a permanent exhibition at Denia’s Restaurante Al Forn.

State law seemed to have ended the matter in the museum’s favour. But now a US Supreme Court ruling has referred it back to the Californian court, opening up the possibility that the Thyssen museum will have to return the masterpiece to the heirs of Cassirer. She had inherited the piece in 1926, but had to hand it over to the Nazis in 1939 in order to get visas for her and her family to leave Germany in 1939. After the war she received the modern equivalent of $200,000 in compensation from the German government, but never gave up her claim to the painting. The artwork resurfaced in the United States in 1951, where its ownership changed hands several times.

Transferred

It was finally bought by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza for $300,000 in 1976 and was eventually transferred to the Thyyssen Museum in 1993. Representatives of the museum remain confident they will retain ownership of the piece, despite the Supreme Court ruling.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Brits on tour

FORMENTERA del Segura staged its long-awaited Tapas Trail after a Covid-induced three year absence. Bars and restaurants throughout the village all joined in to celebrate the world-renowned morsels, with British bars contributing equally alongside their Spanish counterparts. In the heart of Costa Blanca’s Vega Baja region, Formentera is a town of little over 4,000 registered residents, some 20% of whom are British or Irish.

Joining in

The municipal boundary also includes Los Palacios, which although being part of nearby Rojales, didn’t deter bars from there joining in. So it will come as no surprise that 50% of the participating bars back in Formentera itself were made up of British-owned establishments. Brighton-born owner, Ben Greenwood, 33, who runs Bennys, said: “Being a new bar owner in the village, this was my first tapas run, so I was unsure what to expect. “It was amazing to see so many people out supporting the local businesses and sampling the culinary delights on offer.”

May 5th - May 18th 2022

Taking the lead

Portugal stealing a march on Spain as it bids to slash airport queues PORTUGAL is hoping to get a march on Spain by scrapping post-Brexit airport security checks for Brits arriving at its airports. UK visitors to the country will be treated the same as EU nationals and will be able to use fast-track automatic gates. Portugal’s Foreigners and Border Service (SEF) has opened four new-generation e-gates at Lisbon Airport with similar facilities at Faro,

By Dilip Kuner

Porto and Funchal airports. The new regulations mean that UK citizens will not have to go through time-consuming manual passport controls when they arrive at the airport. Since Brexit, UK arrivals into EU nations have had to be treated as third-country nationals, according to EU legislation. But each member

THE Spanish minister of Tourism claims that Spain is the fourth most searched tourist destination in the world. Reyes Maroto confirmed that the Spanish tourist sector is at similar levels to pre-pandemic years, with hotel and tourist accommodation occupation matching the figures seen before Covid hit. She told Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 that official data showed ‘17.6

state is free to introduce its own regulations – and Portugal is the first to do so for British citizens. It is being seen as a way of encouraging British tourism this summer - possibly at the expense of Spain. Meanwhile, the Olive Press continues to get reports of British travellers entering

Back on track million overnight stays in Spain in March’. With regards to employment, Reyes Maroto revealed that there are currently 2.4 million workers in the tourism industry. She credited government efforts to mitigate high energy costs as part of the reason for the recovery in tourism.

Spain via Gibraltar being asked for evidence they have €100 a day to spend. Some have also been asked for evidence of hotel or accommodation bookings.

Invitation

Ken Broomfield approached the Olive Press to explain: “My wife and I, both UK nationals, are in Gibraltar and occasionally visit Spain. Today my wife had great trouble in entering Spain to do some shopping as she was asked to provide evidence of her journey. “We asked the immigration official what would happen if we wanted to visit friends in Spain and were told we would need a written invitation. “This treatment is totally unacceptable and indicates to me that British people are not welcome in Spain. The immigration official exceptionally allowed my wife to enter.”

HOTEL AID

SPAIN’S tourism sector has launched a scheme to recruit Ukrainian refugees to work in hotels and holiday accommodation. The Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos (CEHAT), the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH) and beWanted has created a version of its job platform in the Ukrainian language to recruit the tens of thousands Ukrainains fleeing the Russian invasion.

Arrived

More than 134,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Spain since Putin sent his troops to invade Ukraine on February 24. CEHAT initially offered accommodation for Ukrainians who had no place to stay under a refugee scheme but they have now gone a step further in helping those who fled war to rebuild their lives in Spain.

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24/3/22 9:59

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

May 5th - May 18th 2022

@Lizy27

BELIEVE IN YOURSELFIE 2

Lavender fields, Guadalajara THESE beautiful lavender fields can be viewed from the town of Brihuega, less than an hour and a half from the capital. The fields sprawl across some thousand hectares of land adorned in lavender flowers, with the town establishing itself as one of the world’s major producers of the sought after scent. If you are planning on wowing your cybernaut pals then you should travel to this town during the Lavender Festival held annually in the second half of July.

The 10 most Instagrammable places in Spain

IS it really a holiday if you don’t post about it on Instagram? It’s a question to which many people under 30 would answer a resounding ‘No’. The Olive Press takes a look at some of the best spots that will make your followers jealous. proving that you don’t need to travel abroad to be the envy of all your friends.

THIS place is home to the most beautiful waterfalls Spanish geography can offer where you can fully disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city. The 16-metre waterfall near Ponferradas is manmade and was built to make use of the old El Pelgo hydroelectric power station. It is surrounded by nature and offers several routes for hiking enthusiasts that are sure to bring in the likes.

Cape Vidio, Asturias

4 LOCATED in the heart of the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, this mural is just as impressive from a distance as it is up close. As you approach it, the image is revealed to be rendered from 4,000 tiny kissing photographs. The street has become an obligatory visit for loved-up couples visiting the Catalan capital.

@inmavalentina_travel

The kissing wall, Barcelona

@ainhoapd

IF you want to recreate a true postcard view, any of the photos you take from this spot at Cape Vidio will do the trick. With its perfectly placed bench that allows you to observe the vastness of the Cantabrian Sea, it lends itself perfectly to that hallowed instagram snap. Around here there are several benches offering spectacular viewpoints that offer incredible views, but this is the pick of the bunch.

@comomolabarcelona

Salto del Pelgo, Leon

Mills of Consuegra, Toledo

THE municipality of Consuegra is one of the most beautiful villages in Spain and its iconic mills are a must-see. From the town you can follow the popular route described by Miguel de Cervantes Cervantes in Don Quixote as well as a trail towards the medieval castle and windmills which provide the perfect backdrop for a wistful insta pose.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

@larissavanlombergen

Barcelona

@georgeariff

6 Guell Park,

May 5th - May 18th 2022

This public park with gardens and distinctive architecture is located in the foothills of the Collserola mountain range. Conceived as a housing estate, the park was designed by Antoni Guadi, a leading exponent of Catalan

modernism, and commissioned by the businessman Eusebi Guell. Built in 1914, it was inaugurated as a public park in 1926 and is a famous stop off for visitors with a passion for true Spanish culture.

Bolnuevo’s enchanted city, Murcia

THIS outstanding and unique landscape is one of the jewels in the crown of Murcia, allowing you to see the origin of the formations of the sandstone rock that has been sculpted by water and wind over thousands of years, earning it its fitting name. During patron saint festivals it is used as a stage for some of the more outlandish religious celebrations.

Balcon de Europa, Malaga

THIS beautiful viewpoint with unrivalled views of the Mediterranean is mandatory viewing if you are in Nerja. The ancient fortress dating back to the ninth century is located on a sheer cliff that separates the beaches of Salon and Calahonda. The viewpoint has a centuries-old history, having been christened by King Alfonso XII when he visited the area in 1885, though the archaeological site on which the Balcon was built goes back to Roman times.

9 Viewpoint of San Nicolas, Granada

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FROM this bustling and picturesque square in the Albaicin quarter you can enjoy unbeatable views of the Alhambra and bask in what many describe as the best sunset in Spain. Such is its beauty that many Spaniards and tourists alike flock to it every year to immortalise its views on the Gram. In fact, in 1997 former US President Bill Clinton described it as one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen.

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Dear Jennifer:

BE PROTECTED

Know what your insurance covers and don’t be under insured

NE area of our lives that we can control in order to protect both ourselves and our loved ones is insurance. Unfortunately, I still hear of people who refuse to insure themselves, their families and everything they own, which of course, is very unwise. I have already said these words – if in doubt, speak to one of my consultants, who will be able to help you ensure your policies are correct with the coverage you need. One example - are you confident that all of the seats in your vehicle are covered? Do not assume that all your seats automatically have cover. Is your house policy adequately insured – is the size and area correct, do you have enough contents cover, remembering that the kitchen is covered under contents? Have you made any changes or improvements to your home and have you updated your policy to include these? I can think of nothing worse than being told by an assessor that someone’s home is under insured and they do not have enough coverage on their policy for the repairs and replacements required. I am often informed that insurance companies are very good until you have to claim. This, of course, can be true but that is not always the fault of the insurer other than when it is sold on price only. Take great care when offered a cheap home insurance – make sure you know exactly what you are paying for and again I offer an extra service to you all – my consultants will be happy to explain your policies and coverage. If in our opinion, you are under insured but you choose to stay that way, that of course is your choice but not necessarily a very wise decision and with my staff there to help and advise you, there is no excuse for not being insured correctly.

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BUSINESS

A SWEET kiosk owner bit off more than he could chew when he started selling cocaine to boost his business turnover. The sweet seller in Alicante’s Pla district sold cocaine to earn ‘extra money’. A man, 30, has been arrested after confessing to drug trafficking. Residents had strong suspicions that the trader was using his sweet business as a front for drug dealing and reported him. Police kept a watch on the kiosk and

Candyman’s bonus

then confronted the owner. Small green pouches of cocaine, ready for sale, were found in his pockets. The man even kept a notebook documenting his cocaine trading. Officers also discovered a letter from a resident berating the man for his illegal activities.

NEW KINAHAN VICTIM

Marbella-founded MTK Global boxers management company closed down US government sanctions on the Kinahan Irish mafia cartel have claimed their first business casualty. The MTK Global boxing management company has closed its doors after promoters told it they would no longer deal with any of their fighters. The company was set up under its original name of MGM by Irish gangland kingpin Daniel Kinahan in Marbella. Kinahan, who lived in a luxury villa in Estepona before moving to Dubai, is believed to control a €1 billion crime organisation. The UAE has now frozen the assets of the

KNOCKOUT: Daniel Kinahan with Tyson Fury

By Dilip Kuner

Kinahan family following the US sanctions. Kinahan put the money up to open the Macklin Gym Marbella (MGM) in 2012 with former Irish, British and European Middleweight Champion Matthew Macklin. Kinahan is the son of Irish underworld kingpin Christy Kinahan, known as ‘the dapper don.’ MGM quickly started to build a stable of top boxing talent and rapidly expanded its operations internationally

SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS GBP/EUR exchange rates seesaws on Ukraine concerns and central bank rate speculation, writes FX specialist Peter Loveday

HE Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate continued to trade in a wide range through the second half of April as developments in Ukraine as well as shifting Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate expectations infused the pairing with volatility. This has seen the pairing trade in a range of between €1.18 and €1.20. WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? The past couple of weeks have seen central banks back in focus, as market expectations for future interest rate hikes from both the BoE and ECB have shifted. This resulted in the pound stumbling amid a notable fall in BoE rate hike bets after the latest UK retail sales figures reported an alarming plunge in retail sales in March. The worrying fall in sales growth reinforced fears that a fall in consumer spending could leave the UK at risk of a recession in the summer, prompting GBP investors to reprice their expectations for several more rate hikes in 2022. At the same time, a series of hawkish speeches from ECB policymakers, such as Vice President Luis de Guindos who claimed an interest rate hike in July is ‘possible’ has resulted in EUR investors reassessing their expectations for how aggressively the bank could begin to tighten its monetary policy. This speculation was stoked by the latest Eurozone consumer price index, which reported inflation in the bloc soared to a new record high in April. Meanwhile, events in Ukraine have also continued to influence the GBP/EUR exchange rate through the second half of

May 5th May 18th 2022

The U.S. government has offered a reward of $5 million for information that will lead to the ‘financial destruction’ of the Kinahan crime gang or the arrest and conviction of its leaders - Christy and his sons Daniel and Christy Junior

Sanctioning

“As a business we have faced unprecedented levels of unfair scrutiny and criticism since the sanctioning by the US Government of Daniel Joseph Kinahan,” a statement from MTK said.

DEAR GREEN SPACE AMANCIO Ortega, the richest man in Europe, has invested hundreds of millions in office space in Glasgow. The space, costing around £200 million, comprises 30,000 square feet and is as yet unfinished. The office is close to the centre of the city, less than five minutes from Central Station and will apparently have Virgin, BNP Paribas, and Transport Scotland as some of its tenants.

Portfolio

The move follows a string of UK acquisitions by the clothing magnate, with the portfolio of Pontegadea UK, the British subsidiary of Ortega’s property firm valued at around £2.8 billion with ownership of properties on Oxford Street, St. James Square, and Devonshire House, as well as a gigantic building by Piccadilly station. The Spaniard who founded the Inditex fashion group, was recently named the 23rd richest person in the world by Forbes magazine, with a $60 billion net-worth.

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April. EUR investors were particularly unsettled by Russia’s move to block gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria, amidst fears it could also cut off energy exports to other countries in the EU over their refusal to pay in roubles. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? A key focus over the next couple of weeks will be the outcome of the Bank of England’s May policy meeting. While the BoE is expected to deliver its fourth consecutive rate hike in May as it seeks to tame domestic inflation, the bank’s forward guidance may act as the main driving force behind the pound. A cautious outlook from the BoE would undoubtedly dent expectations for future interest rate hikes, and in turn push the GBP/EUR exchange rate lower. Meanwhile events surrounding the war in Ukraine will continue to have a major impact on GBP/EUR. This could see the euro face some considerable headwinds if Russia extends its gas export ban to other countries such as Germany. PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

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HEALTH STOP WINE-ING!

HEPATITIS PUZZLE

THE puzzling outbreak of hepatitis amongst children across Europe has arrived in Andalucia. One case has been confirmed and another reported as highly likely amongst two under 16s in Spain’s southern region, according to the Spanish health ministry’s Centre for Coordination of Health Warnings and Emergencies.

Worrying

The Balearics have also recorded their first case in Mallorca. These two make a total of 13 cases of the severe liver disease confirmed in Spain. The worrying trend is most pointed in the UK, where 108 cases of hepatitis in children have been registered. In eight of the UK cases, the children required a liver transplant. One child has already received a transplant in Spain. One death has also been confirmed in the UK.

Booze ban on Menu del Dia slammed as ‘fake news’

THE Ministry of Health has rubbished claims that bars and restaurants will be forced to exclude alcoholic drinks from their traditional Menu del Dia. The Ministry, along with the country’s 17 regions, however do want catering establishments to promote healthier eating on their menus via the so-called Mediterranean Diet. It’s one of the key planks in a national strategy to improve cardiovascular health with heart disease being the main cause of death in Spain. The Ministry says that the proposals ‘establish recommendations for healthy habits and do not contemplate prohibitions of any kind’. “It is false that drinks such as

OP Puzzle solutions Across: 1 Bran, 4 Chemical, 8 Overdose, 9 Doll, 10 Slain, 11 Eilean, 13 Dish, 14 Nah, 15 Wait, 16 German, 18 Timor, 20 Gore, 21 Equipped, 22 Pretence, 23 Rink. Down: 2 Revolving door, 3 Norwich, 4 Clog, 5 Eyesight, 6 Indie, 7 Atlantic Ocean, 12 Engage in, 15 Whimper, 17 Rhett, 19 Ruse.

SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

wine or beer are going to be eliminated from the Menu del Dia,” added a spokesman. The rumour over an enforced Menu del Dia change surfaced after the news that free tap water will have to be supplied if asked for at restaurants across the country - something that is already done in some regions. Obesity is a major concern in Spain with over one in five adults classified as clinical

obese. Child obesity levels are the highest in Western Europe, despite the healthy food options that are readily available.

Junk food

The draft proposals being discussed recommend the promotion of physical activity in schools and the removal of processed food and alcohol from vending machines. It also targets a reduction in junk food consumption by regulating advertising and balancing the scales by encouraging financial measures to reduce the price of fresh products that make up the Mediterranean diet.

May 5th - May 18th 2022

Lovely jabbly THE Spanish government will approve the fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine for over 80s. Other countries in Europe like Italy and France have also approved the fourth dose for people in this age group. A fourth dose is already given to immunosuppressed people in Spain. The European Medicines Agency and The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control stated that it is not necessary for the population in general, but it is for people over 80 years old. The latest data from the Minister of Health stated that there is a cumulative incidence in those over 80 years old of 731,31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants recorded in the last two weeks. The Health Ministry says that 40,375,699 people have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in Spain.

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The

OLIVE PRESS

REuse REduce REcycle We use recycled paper

Cracking cook

FINAL WORDS

THREE Michelin star Marbella chef Dani Garcia has been shortlisted as one of the world’s top 100 chefs by the Best Chef Awards with the winner to be chosen from the shortlist in the next few days.

Play dead NATIONAL police uncovered an illegal dog cemetery in Madrid’s Entrevias park run by a woman and her sister who both had mental disabilities and who owned 12 dogs.

Save the date A PAIR of policemen rescued a bride on her Malaga wedding day whose car had broken down in Churriana, dropping her and her godmother in Alhaurin de la Torre just in time for the service.

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

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COLLARED! Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 3 Issue 64 www.theolivepress.es May 5th - May 18th 2022

Top of the league Spanish fans are flocking to support Wycombe, writes George Mathias IT may not be the biggest club in English football, but for one set of Spanish fans it is number one. Forget the Manchester, Liverpool and London giants - English League 1 club Wycombe Wanderers has won an unlikely Spanish fanbase, with 100 fans flying over from Spain recently to watch the League One club beat Sheffield Wednesday. After a popular Spanish You-

Tube channel - La Media Inglesa - sent a questionnaire to various English clubs asking why they should support their team, only one responded in Spanish - Wycombe Wanderers. From then on, the channel contributors have become dedicated Wycombe Wanderers fans, regularly flying in for games with some of their subscribers. The channel, which has 330,000 subscribers, said:

VISIT: Spaniards were welcomed at Wycombe “Wycombe Wanderers was the half years ago and from there only one which answered our we started to collaborate.” questionnaire in Spanish. And “Wycombe is a club that mirthen they invited us to their rors our values. It was love at stadium. We visited two and a first sight,” said Ilie Oleart, who runs the channel. Wycombe described itself to the Youtubers as a family-orientated club based near London, which ‘would love to reminutes later returned to look for it. ceive many people from Spain One of the witnesses then offered to help find in our stadium.’ it by asking for the number so he could ring it La Media Inglesa said they and reveal its whereabouts. had been very warmly welThe phone was firstly traced by the suspect to comed by the Wycombe loits resting place under a car as it rang, and latcals and said they are now in er by police to an address in Orihuela after the a ‘constant, permanent relawitness gave the number to cops. tionship with the Chairboys’.

Dummy’s too thick to mention POLICE have nabbed a suspected sex assaulter after he was conned into giving his phone number to a witness. The suspect, aged 36, had forced his victim into a garage doorway and tried to molest her. Two passers-by heard a commotion and went to the woman’s aid, at which point he ran away. In his haste he dropped his phone and a few

THREE teens are in the doghouse after they kidnapped a pet and tried to hold out for a €150 ransom. They were arrested when they turned up at a rendezvous to collect the cash but instead of the distressed pet owner, the two 16 and one 17-year-olds were met by plain clothes detectives in Paterna (Valencia). The pooch had been swiped from a house before the thieves rang a number engraved on the dog's collar and demanded payment for its safe return.

EARLY RIDERS

AN alarming escape story could have ended in tragedy after it emerged two young children escaped their nursery school riding a plastic motorcycle after the door was left open. The two-year-olds were spotted by a woman some 300 metres away from the preschool in Almeria after they had crossed several roads. She scooped them up and called police who returned them to the care of teachers at the nursery. Parents of the children were outraged by the incident.