Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 345

OLIVE PRESS

The

A ndaluc í a

FREE

EXCLUSIVE

By Dilip Kuner

A BRITISH couple conned out of €2,800 through a fake holiday website have turned detective and had a Spanish fraudster convicted.

However, the angry holidaymakers are now demanding action after the Granada-based businessman failed to return their money, despite a court order.

The couple, Lucia and Peter Myers, both 54, from London, are furious that Alvaro Lopez Uribe only paid one installment out of an agreed 11, after being found guilty of the elaborate scam.

A Spanish court sentenced Uribe to

expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 345 www.theolivepress.es June 10th - June 23rd 2020

EXCLUSIVE: On the hunt of evil Maddie kidnapper across Iberia

SEEN THEM:Van or paedophile Christian Brueckner, believed to have taken Maddie?

Demands from victims as convicted holiday rentals conman avoids prison AND paying back stolen fees

Your

MOCKERY Closing in, Page 2 CENTRE OF PROBE: New villa

SCAMMED: Brit Lucia Myers had Uribe (right) convicted over luxury villa rental (above) but now conman is ‘bankrupt’ and free six months jail for ruining their holiday in Mallorca last year and then suspended the term on condition he

re-paid the couple.

But Uribe has now declared himself insolvent and the court has therefore

Win a dream five-star splurge!

X

See our competition on

declared the case over.

“I thought that the lockdown might have been why we have had no payment for months, but then I got an email informing us that the matter was now ended,” IT specialist Lucia told the Olive Press this week.

She and husband Peter, who runs a computer business, had handed over the cash via a bank transfer to pay for a one-week stay at an upmarket villa near Palma, in 2017.

But just the day before they were due to fly out, they were told the villa was no longer available.

The couple, who were travelling with their two children, Julia, 15 and Alicia, nine at the time, were forced to book another villa.

Incredibly, on an internet search for a last minute rental they were offered the actual villa by the real owners and told that they had been the victims of a classic scam that has caught hundreds out over the last few years, as the Olive Press has frequently warned.“It turned out these scampage 15 mers had simply stolen the pictures from the internet and set up a fake site,” Lucia explained.

She added that the conman had slowly gained THE SKY the couple’s trust by initially saying other propDOCTOR erties advertised on the ALL AREAS COVERED bogus site were no longer available. This made 4G UNLIMITED it look that the site was INTERNET legitimate.

IDEAL FOR After losing out, Lucia STREAMING TV vowed to get even with the conmen and traced ALSO IPTV, the money her husband SATELLITE TV sent to a branch of La Caixa bank in Granada. tel: (0034) 952 763 840 She contacted the bank, info@theskydoctor.com but a request for her www.theskydoctor.com

+

TURBULENCE ON THE STOCK MARKET BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES TALK TO US TODAY

BinckBank.com/opportunity

952 147 834

+

Tel: 952 147 834 See page 5 & 19 TM

money to be returned was refused as there were no funds in the account.

Lucia managed to find two other couples who had fallen for the same scam. One of them turned up in Mallorca with their two children to find they had nowhere to stay.

Determined that no-one else should fall victim to the site, she managed to have it closed down after making an official complaint.

She also went to the Guardia Civil, which eventually took on the case, with Lucia twice flying out as a witness to Granada.

“The court paid the expenses, but I think the defendant’s lawyer was surprised to see me. If I hadn’t turned up, that would have been the end of the case,” she said.

Dossier

During the two year investigation she compiled a huge dossier of information – including details of a bank account in Valencia that was also used by the same scammers.

“The authorities in Spain don’t seem to take this very seriously,” she continued. “But to my mind this is a big crime. How much money has been stolen from innocent people?”

While Uribe claimed he was not guilty and other shadier figures were behind the scam, she believes he should pay for the crime for which he is convicted.

“This puts us off visiting Spain. We have gone to Corfu instead for the past few years. Scams like this are not good for Spain – the authorities should realise this and make it harder for conmen to work online and easier for people to get their money back.”

A home address given to the court by Uribe in Granada appeared empty this week.

Neighbours told the Olive Press they had not seen him for ‘some time’.

An official address for his ‘holiday lettings business’ turned out to be empty with local businesses saying they had never heard of him.

Opinion Page 6

2

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

DID YOU SEE CHRISTIAN (RIGHT) OR HIS VW WESTFALIA VAN ON THE COSTAS?

Case against prime Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner grows stronger as series of key Spain links emerge EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore & Joshua Parfitt, in Alcossebre

MADDIE McCann was reportedly seen getting into a German-owned VW van with a mystery man just weeks after her disappearance, it has been revealed.

Unearthed police files, published this week, show how a witness was convinced he saw the British toddler leave a restaurant in Alcossebre on the Costa Blanca.

The alleged sighting took place at Tunnels, at 11am on May 28, 2007, just three weeks after the three-year-old vanished.

The area in Valencia is 600 miles from where Maddie was snatched in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, and is popular with people living the camper van lifestyle, such as prime suspect

Pics by Jon Clarke

SPOTTED: At Tunnels in Alcossebre

CLOSING IN Christian Brueckner.

The 43-year-old paedophile was living in Praia de Luz when Maddie vanished and was driving a distinctive VW T3 Westfalia van (pictured).

A German expat, who has lived near the restaurant for years, remembers the day well as it was his friend who contacted the police.

Jorge, who asked to stay anonymous, told the Olive Press that it was ‘the talk of the town’ and his friend clearly saw the VW van and he ‘still swears it was Maddie’.

Following the tip off at the

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: Breuckner’s rental home overlooked McCann’s apartment in Luz

time, Leicestershire cop DC John Hughes issued an international Interpol alert with a ‘risk to life missing person’ warning demanding that both Spanish and German police investigate.

He urged police to check the location for CCTV and witnesses and asked for the German van’s details, which were allegedly BMS 1049. It is not known what checks were made. The police report, is-

sued as part of Operation Task, explained that the restaurant was in an area called ‘Cap Y Corp’ and that the witness had an ‘unimpeded’ view of the girl who walked straight past him.

German police said there were indications that he could have used either the van or a Jaguar model XJR 6 with a German number plate to commit the snatching of Maddie and appealed for help tracking where they were parked.

The Olive Press has established (see box) that he was seen back in the Algarve area a couple of weeks later in the same van,

EXPOSED: The paedo’s lair SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

by Jon Clarke & Laurence Dollimore, in Foral

HIDEAWAY: House where Breuckner stayed in Foral and (below) our story in Mail on Sunday

SCARED: Landlady Lia

The Mail on Sunday June 7 • 2020

guy, people were scared of him in the village,” owner Lia Silva revealed.

“He claimed to be a private detective and he carried a gun which was obviously really terrifying.”

She revealed how the house was rented to a German woman Nicole, who was living there with her boyfriend Roman, who allegedly beat her up.

Parethat nts kicke out adopted She explained the dwoman hadson a as teen after crim young daughter of ager her own, but she also e spre e took in troubled teenagers from Germany, who she fostered for a living.

‘They had difficulty ‘I got the feeling that he to control him’ enjoyed torturing a “She wastryingsupposedly running me’ rehabilitation programme for troubled youths, but one escaped and came back pregnant, him under alongside police thathadman who believe was SurVeiI llance Christian.”

The property has become a key part of the investigation into the movements of Brueckner around the time of Maddie’s disappearance.

The home, which is currently being rented by two Brits, has extensive grounds and a large swimming pool and barbecue area.

Nicole abandoned the property in 2009, owing Silva around €10,000 in unpaid rent.

“They left behind needles, used syringes with a spoon and bricks of hashish,” reUNKEMPT: Maddie suspect Christian

By Mark Hookham and Abul Taher in Germany

Brueckner

THE prime suspect for the abduction of Madeleine McCann was kicked out as a teenager because his adopted of home mother could no longer cope with his spiralling criminal behaviour.

Speaking for the first time, Christian Brueckner’s mother Brigitte insisted she want to know what crimes her does not depraved adopted son has committed, saying: ‘I don’t know anything about it. I don’t want to know anything about it.’

Kind-hearted Brigitte and her husband Fritz adopted Christian as a baby after he up by his birth mother. But when was given seriously injured in a car crashFritz was Brigitte was unable to cope with in 1992, caring for both her brain-damaged husband and the increasingly delinquent teenager.

Christian was sent to a children’s home for disruptive teenagers, but soon debauched life of crime and sex sank into a offending.

In 1992 he committed a burglary and a year later molested a six-year-old playground, only stopping when girl in a she began to scream.

F i v e m o n t h s l a t e r, h e approached a nine-year-old girl tions, including theft, assault, drug and dropped his trousers. ‘unkempt hands’, including It marked the beginning of an trafficking, violations of the weap- fingernails. It even detailschewed couple, very kind. But what hap- that is when he was sent to a dis- pened with their boy Christian appalling 27-year criminal career. ons law, child abuse, possession of tinctive scar on his groin. is a school for delinquent a reform teenagers Last week German police child pornography and rape.

The file – and the testimony of catastrophe,’ one neighbour said. in Wuerzburg.’

Astonishingly, he has been extra‘They took him in as a baby announced that they were investihis friends and acquaintances Another neighbour added: ‘If – brought him up as their own. and gating the 43-year-old on suspi- dited back to Germany from abroad provides a picture of an ‘He was often in trouble and he what I read is true it will destroy cion of murdering three-year-old to face justice no fewer than three and dangerous sexual itinerant his mother. Brigitte and Fritz offender did Madeleine, who disappeared from who appeared to flit between Ger- got worse and worse as he grew everything they could for him when a holiday apartment in the Portumany and Portugal at will, comhe was a boy.’ guese holiday resort of Praia mitting serious A third crimes neighbour told the Gerda wherever Luz in 2007. he settled. man newspaper Bild that the home Brueckner is also being investiBrueckner was born Christian where Brueckner was sent had a gated in connection with the disapFischer in 1976 but given up by bad reputation: ‘There were only his pearance of a five-year-old German birth mother and adopted by bad young people there.’ the girl who vanished from woods Brueckner family, who At his trial for the child sex in times: twice from Portugal northern Germany, in 2015. and Bergtheim, a village lived in offences in 1994 at Wuerzburg near the into a teenager. As the man of the District Court, Inga Gehricke – often referred to once from Italy.

Given his repeated offending, the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg.

Brueckner was as Germany’s Maddie – vanished Neighbours yesterday said the house, it was Fritz who disciplined asked by the juvenile judge what the boy. Christian during a family barbecue. Brueck- file provides a vivid physical family had difficulty controlling hand. But after needed a firm he thought about his actions. the accident he ner lived 48 miles away in a cara- description of Brueckner who has a him and the situation He replied: ‘I didn’t think anybecame could not do that any van on scrubland by an abandoned pockmarked face, pierced ears, a impossible after Herr more. thing.’ He was given a two-year Brueckner, five-inch scar on his lower back, ‘Brigitte, the mother, box factory. an who has since died, was confined did her to but she could not cope with best, sentence but fled to Portugal with Police are also examining poten- eight-inch scar on his right arm, a wheelchair after the car the boy a girlfriend in 1995 crash. birthmarks all over his body and before it was tial links to the disappearance ‘The Brueckners were a lovely and look after her husband. in ‘Christian had been in trouble and completed.

1996 of another German youngster, He worked for a sales company, René Hasse, six, who vanished fitting awnings and swimming pool from Amoreiras beach in the Porcovers, and with his then girlfriend tuguese coastal town of Aljezur – rented a remote whitewashed farm25 miles from Praia da Luz. house on a hillside near the beach And yesterday the Belgian authorwhere the McCanns would later GERMAN police considered ities said they are investigating prison for child sexual abuse and play during their week’s holiday.

Christian Brueckner so dangerous surveillance. The officers then whether Brueckner might have possession of child pornography.

In 1999 he was arrested and extrathat they put him under roundbegan openly following him. been involved in the murder of He was eligible for release in dited back to Germany where 16the-clock surveillance.

‘We stood in front of his house he year-old Carola Titze in July 1996.

August 2018, but the German served out the remainder of The convicted paedophile was his The teenager, whose mutilated authorities were desperate for him at night, walked beside him youth sentence for the child sex released from jail in 2018 as a when he was out, and talked to body was found six days after she to remain behind bars for drug offences. The following year result of a bureaucratic bungle him,’ said an investigator. he vanished while on holiday at trafficking. Under extradition law, was back in Portugal – but his life a against the wishes of German Brueckner went to the Flemish resort in De Haan, West Portugal had to give its consent became increasingly chaotic. police and prosecutors. In panic, Netherlands, where the Dutch Flanders, was allegedly seen at and it is claimed the Portuguese Neighbours described an ‘angry’ a officers were sent to follow him, police who took over surveillance disco with a German man, who was authorities car did not dealer who raced along the do so in time – but he gave them the slip. never traced. meaning Brueckner was released. lost him. From there he fled to quiet country roads. He collected Brueckner had been arrested in Italy, where he was arrested a The Mail on Sunday has seen Detectives first tried to covertly lost balls from golf courses to sell Portugal month in 2017 later and extradited to and extradited back to Brueckner’s 19-page police file, track his movements but he and stole diesel from parked trucks a Germany to serve 15 months in Germany where he was convicted shocking catalogue of 17 convicsoon realised that he was under and boats in nearby marinas. of the 2005 rape of a pensioner.

Then, one hot evening in early September 2005, just 18 months

June 7 • 2020 The Mail on Sunday

V1

Suspect’s secret lair could lead police to Maddie

17

called Silva, “it was horrible finding that in my house, but I burnt it all, I didn’t want to be incriminated by that stuff.”

Brueckner was not seen in the village after Ni‘People were afraid of him in the restaurant’ cole and Roman left.

Police turned up a couple of times looking for Roman but did not reveal to Silva why.

“He received some serious looking legal letters from Lisbon so maybe it was related to that.”

Talking to the Olive Press inside the grounds, she said she welcomed police digging up if it helps solve the Maddie case.

“I just want this case closed like everyone else, the parents need closure. If it was him who took Maddie, then I hope they hang the bastard.”

Several other witnesses in the town confirmed that Portuguese police have never visited to ask questions about the case.

From Jon Clarke and Laurence Dollimore

in FOraL, POrTUGaL

NOTORIOUS DRUNK: Brueckner

out in a bar in Hanover in 2011

PAEDOPHILE Christian Brueckner regularly visited a rundown house hidden away in the Portuguese countryside in the months after the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The property – pictured exclusively and never before linked to Brueckner – could now become a focal point in the investigation into whether the German kidnapped and murdered Madeleine.

An investigation by this newspaper has established that Brueckner often stayed at the villa in the village of Foral in 2007 and 2008. He reportedly parked his distinctive Volkswagen KEY CLUE: The villa in Foral, Portugal, that was visited by Brueckner Westfalia campervan, which was subsequently seized by Ger- also had a young teenage girl 14 miles from Foral. Meanwhile, living with her who was not man police, in the car park of a her daughter. The woman would Brueckner’s German police file nearby restaurant. lists one of his ‘abodes’ as ‘PortuThe villa is about 40 miles from fly kids over from Germany and gal. Messines’. The village of Sao the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, was supposedly running a reha- Bartolomeu de Messines is just the holiday resort where three- bilitation programme for trou- six miles from Foral. year-old Madeleine disappeared bled youths.’

Lia Silva, the owner of the propBrueckner’s visits to the propin May 2007. erty in Foral, said an intimidating The villa, which is understood erty could form a key part of German man would visit the to have never been searched by police attempts to piece together and visit Nicole. At one pointvilla it is his movements after Madeleine claimed police, was rented between 2002 he helped track and 2009 by a German woman vanished. He is thought to have one of the German teenagersdown who left Portugal shortly after and had run away. called Nicole who is said to have used it for a rehabilitation pro- returned to Germany, reportedly ‘Suddenly a German guy turned gramme for troubled teenagers. up, and the rumours were that he A German couple who have was a private detective of some lived in the village for more than nature,’ said Ms Silva. ‘Some peo20 years said they immediately ple were afraid of him when he recognised Brueckner when he used to go to the restaurant. was named last week as the prime ‘Eventually, the guy found the suspect in the disappearance of runaway girl … and it turns out Madeleine and his image telling friends that he had stolen she was pregnant. It was a major appeared in the media. problem. It was then that Nicole ‘I said, “That’s Christian” before a lot of cash during a burglary on was no longer allowed to receive I even read what his name was,’ the Algarve.

He first moved to the German kids from Germany, so she lost said the husband, who asked not all her income.’ of city of Dresden for a few to be named.

When Ms Silva was shown a ‘The first time I met him he was weeks and then to Augsburg in photograph of Brueckner, she hosting a party at the restaurant. Bavaria, staying in the attic of a said: ‘Yeah that looks like him, it ‘He had two dogs, one medium- home owned by landlord Alexan- could be him.’ sized, one small. The name of the der Bischoff, 64, for two or three She added that Nicole abansmall one I even remember, it weeks at a time. But according to doned the villa in 2009, allegedly was called Frau Muller and was Mr Bischoff, Brueckner was owing 10,000 euros in rent. always rummaging around often away, including on trips ‘I found syringes and used neeback to Portugal. the bins.

In 2015 he sold the VW T3 West- dles and a spoon and bricks of ‘The female tenant was German hashish in a shoebox,’ Ms and had a young daughter. She falia to the German owner of a added. ‘I was devastated Silva to find scrapyard in the town of Silves, that in my house.’

was armed with a ‘curved sabre’, beat the pensioner with a metal, flexible object. ‘I felt that he enjoyed torturing me,’ she later told police.

Two of Brueckner’s acquaintances stumbled across evidence of his horrific crime when they burgled his farmhouse the following FAMILY HOME: The house in Bergtheim year, but apparently failed to tell where he was brought up the police about their find until before the abduction of Madeleine, many years later. his offending took a horrifically – Casa Jacaranda – having reguThey stole his camcorder but depraved turn. Less than a mile larly stopped there to pet the cats were horrified to find a film from his farmhouse was the home on his way to the beach. sequence in which an older woman At about 10.30pm, as she watched was bound of a 72-year-old American widow, and masked and who had lived alone with her cats TV, the woman was grabbed from then raped. A second film whipped showed behind, dragged upstairs to her for 17 years following the death young woman tied naked to a of bedroom where she was a tied-up, wooden beam in the house. her Austrian husband.

Brueckner knew the widow’s villa gagged, blindfolded and raped. ner is understood to have Brueckcourted Brueckner, who wore a mask and string of young women during a his

12-year stay in the Algarve and had a year-long relationship with a British expat.

He disappeared from Praia da Luz shortly after Madeleine was snatched as she slept alongside her twin siblings in May 2007.

German police last week revealed Brueckner took a mobile phone call, placing him in the resort between 7.30pm and 8pm on the night she vanished.

He initially settled in Hanover and became a notorious figure in the city’s backstreet bars, often leering drunkenly at women and wearing an ill-fitting and pungent suit. ‘I remember him,’ said Diana Bieler, who worked at the Cuban-themed bar Havana, where Brueckner was photographed in

April 2011. ‘He used to come to the bar twice a week, always on his own. He always had beer and looked unfriendly.

‘He was a dirty man, and I did not talk to him. He always smelt and always looked tense.’

It was his habit of drunkenly boasting in bars that may have sealed his fate.

In 2017, he apparently suggested that he was responsible for Madeleine going missing while drinking with an associate in another German bar.

Shockingly, he then allegedly showed his fellow drinker a video of him raping a woman. The associate informed German police who passed the new information to New Scotland Yard.

OLIVE PRESS SPAIN

Anguished mother: I don’t want to know what he has done V1

ALAMY / AFP / REUTERS

16

EPA / PIXEL8000 / PHIL NOBLE /

T

HIS is the house where the prime suspect in the Maddie case spent several months following the toddler’s disappearance.

The extensive property sits in the sleepy village of Foral, around 45 minutes drive from Praia da Luz, where the three-yearold vanished in 2007.

Several locals confirmed to the Olive Press they saw Brueckner, now aged 43, and his distinctive Westfalia van parked outside the property, where troubled German teenagers were supposedly nursed back to health.

The German paedophile was around for months and often worked at the village’s O Faro restaurant and did odd jobs to earn cash or in exchange for showers.

“He came and went and was a really scary

but that he could have easily have been driving any number of different vans.

It comes as Brueckner, who lived for many years around Praia da Luz, allegedly told colleagues in Germany that Maddie was dead.

Reports say he became frustrated when his work pals would not stop talking about the case while working at a kiosk between 2012 and 2014.

“The child is dead now – and that’s a good thing!” Brueckner reportedly screamed, “you can make a corpse disappear quickly… pigs also eat human flesh!”

Boasted

While he was discounted from the Portuguese investigation in 2007 and again in 2012, the net began to close when German police started probing him in 2017.

It came after Brueckner told a pal on a night out about the case and boasted how he had raped a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz, two years before Maddie was snatched.

It came after a picture of Maddie flashed onto the TV screen in a bar they were in, it being the 10th anniversary of her disappearance.

He went on to show the pal videos, allegedly of the sadistic rape, for which he has now been convicted, and possibly of Maddie.

The suspect has 17 convictions, many of them sexual offences against young children.

His first known offence was when he molested a six-yearold girl in Germany at the age of 17 in 1993. A year later he attempted to sexually assault a nine-year-old girl.

He moved to Praia da Luz with his then-girlfriend in 2005, but broke up with her soon after arriving.

He had a series of other girlfriends, including a British girl, and also found work as a waiter and carried out odd jobs.But meanwhile he was also robbing apartments and selling drugs.

Eerily, he was living in a rundown property, rented from a British owner, which overlooked the resort from a nearby hill and just a short walk to the beach.

One of his neighbours, an Austrian woman, Salamanda, told

the Olive Press he was always polite to her and a good neighbour. “I even had coffees with him on a few occasions and he seemed fine,” she said.

It is the circumstances of his sudden departure from the resort around the time of Maddie’s disappearance, plus a mysterious 30-minute conversation with someone called ‘Diogo Silva’, on the night she vanished, which is so intriguing.

The fact that he sold or at least re-registered his Jaguar car the day after her death is suspicious, as is the fact that just a couple of weeks later he started living in a small village, Foral, some 45 minutes away inland.

German police issued both phone numbers used on the evening an hour before she vanished, and also gave out photos of his van and car.

Yet, Portuguese police became obsessed that it was her parents who killed her and did not even include Bruekner on a list of 600 possible suspects.

Despite his close links, now confirmed by the Olive Press in Foral, police have yet to search the property or properly probe his links there.

Sex attack

The village has now become filled with investigators and journalists trying to crack the case, following our expose, including the BBC that filmed on Monday in the strange property that housed troubled teenagers brought in from Germany.

Brueckner would go on to commit more crimes against children, including another sexual attack in June 2013.

He has now been linked to another five missing children and a series of rapes both in Portugal and Germany.

Whether he could have committed offences in Spain on his many trips across the country is now a question for Spanish police to grapple with.

According to German magazine Der Spiegel, in September 2013, he wrote in an online chatroom that he wanted to ‘capture something small and use it for days.’

Do you recognise the van or jaguar pictured? Do you remember seeing either of the vehicles throughout the 2000s? Contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

June 10th - June 23rd

Party prince

That’s rich ENRIQUE Iglesias and Anna Kournikova have been named as Spain's top celebrity power couple and 22nd worldwide.

Credit company Guarantor Loans released its list which combined couples’ net worths and social media followings to rank the top 40 pairings in the world.

In first place was Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham, worth a combined €2.75 billion.

The top performing couple that includes at least one Spaniard was singer Enrique Iglesias and tennis star Anna Kournikova who ranked 22nd worldwide, with assets of €133 million between them.

Cue music ONE of Spain’s most prestigious international awards has been awarded to two of cinema’s great composers.

The Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts has been given to Ennio Morricone (right) – responsible for much of the iconic music in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns including The Good the Bad and the Ugly – and John Williams (right), most famous for the Star Wars music.

Morricone has written more than 500 movie soundtracks while Williams has composed the music for some of Hollywood’s biggest hits including ET, Fiddler on the Roof, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and the Indiana Jones movies. This latest award adds to the long list of Oscar, Grammys and other prizes the two composers have to their names.

Kickback King

Spain’s former monarch embroiled in new scandal amid probe by country’s top court

DISGRACED former King Juan Carlos is being investigated by Spain’s Supreme Court over whether he illegally received millions of euros of kickbacks from Saudi Arabia.

The probe dates back to another inquiry launched by Spain’s anti-corruption prosecutor into a massive contract won by Spanish companies in 2011 to build a high-speed railway linking the cities of Medina and Mecca.

Swiss newspaper La Tribune de Geneve claimed that before his 2014 abdication, Juan Carlos received nearly €100 million from the late king of Saudi Arabia.

As king, Juan Carlos enjoyed

MALAGA’s favourite son Antonio Banderas has been chosen to spearhead a €22.5 million campaign to attract tourists to Andalucia this summer.

Regional Tourism Minister Juan Marin described the plan as a bid to rescue the peak season.

The famous Hollywood actor features in an advertisement that started airing this week on radio and television as well as in the printed press.

The campaign will also be heavily featured on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, aimed at attracting foreign tourists.

EARNER: King ‘took €100 million from Saudis’ immunity from prosecution.

But now the supreme court prosecutor is looking to see if he can be included in the case for any actions that took place after he abdicated in favour of

Hollywood hero

his son, when he ceased to be covered by immunity.

A statement from the prosecutor said: “This investigation focuses, precisely, on establishing or discarding the criminal relevance of deeds that happened after June 2014, when the King Emeritus was no longer protected by immunity.”

Juan Carlos had enjoyed immense popularity and respect, built up during Spain’s transition into democracy after dictator Franco died in 1975.

A series of scandals destroyed his reputation and eventually forced him to hand the throne to his son, Felipe.

One of these centred on his relationship with businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. The former king is alleged by La Tribune de Geneve to have given her nearly €57 million.

BELGIAN Party Prince Joachim is under investigation by the Spanish authorities as more details of his jet set lockdown antics have been uncovered.

The 28-year-old prince flew to Spain from Belgium in May to visit high society Spanish girlfriend Victoria Ortiz Martinez-Sagrera.

But instead of self-isolating for two weeks, he attended two bashes in Cordoba before he and another guest tested positive for COVID-19 First he partied with 11 others at his girlfriend’s family farm, then the next day he joined 15 friends for more revelries.

Costa crime FOOTBALL star Diego Costa has been sentenced to six months in prison for tax fraud, but will avoid serving time.

The Atletico Madrid and former Chelsea striker has also been handed a €543,208 fine.

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to charges relating to €1.1 million in unpaid taxes.

Brazilian-born Costa also failed to declare more than €1 million in image rights.

He will avoid jail, as Spanish law allows sentences

shorter than two years for non-violent crimes to be exchanged for a fine, in this case an extra €36,500.

KIM CLARK

Benefits Consultancy If you suffer from...

• Mobility problems • Pain / Breathlessness • Falls / Stumbles

3

Or you need...

• Help with washing /dressing • Supervision

You could be entitled to extra income by claiming UK sickness/disability benefits while living in Spain FOR ADVICE OR TO BOOK A CONSULTATION call 950 169 729 or 663 297 568 www.ukbenefitsinspain.com

tel: +34 951 440 604 info@solmoves.com www.solmoves.com

4

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF Further blow THE convicted ‘La Manada’ rape gang has seen four of its members charged for a second attack carried out two months before the infamous gang rape of an 18-year-old at Pamplona’s running of the bulls in 2016.

Sour note A MAN has been denounced in Murcia for beating his son, 17, leaving him seriously injured, because he wanted to become a musician and not go to university.

Old friends THE slaying of Brit Peter Andrew Williamson, 39, in Mijas on November 21 was carried out by two of his former gang who flew from Manchester to Spain for the kill, police have revealed.

Skull probe POLICE have launched a probe after the skull of an ‘old man’ was unearthed by workers in Mijas woodland on Friday.

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

A step too far!

Bank refuses to refund expat after hackers stole €500 to buy Alexander McQueen trainers

A BRITISH expat is demanding action after his bank refused to refund €500 stolen from his account to buy a pair of designer trainers.

Bar owner Simon Adams, 56, from Nerja, is furious after Unicaja bank ignored his requests for a refund.

The expat of 18 years insists his account was clearly hacked in order to buy the pair of oversized Alexander McQueen trainers from a company based in the UK. The business account for his bar in Nerja H20 was attacked on May 25, with the bank alleging it was the fault of his phone.

The first he heard about the purchase was when he got a text late at night from Unicaja with a security code for the trainers from Flannels Fashion, owned by Sports Direct based in Manchester.

The 56-year-old ignored the text thinking it was just a mistake, as he hadn’t bought anything.

SINGLE IMPLANT

EXCLUSIVE

by Dimitris Kouimtsidis

However, the next morning he saw that €494 had been paid for the shoes.

“I called the bank straight away, but to my complete surprise, they said they couldn’t do anything about it,” he told the Olive Press.

They insisted he could not get a refund because his phone had been hacked and the perpetrator used the security code they had sent him.

“Apparently this is the first time this has ever happened as this is a completely secure system.

“What I ask them now is how will they fix this so that it doesn’t happen again and how can I get my money back.”

Unicaja told him they had contacted Flannels Fashion and the shoes were bought by a ‘Dylan Pagan’, who apparently lives in Cannes, on the French

Riviera.

However, when the Olive Press tried to call the Belgian phone number given for him, the number wasn’t in use.

It appears the hackers set up a fake identity for the purchase, as well as presumably many

more.

Incredibly Adams is not threatening to move banks over the case.

“I’ve frozen all three of my accounts online, so my money can only be accessed by using my card in person.

“This is the second time in just over two years someone has committed fraud with my accounts, so I’m definitely worried.”

When asked for a comment, Unicaja refused to disclose any information about the case to a third party. Flannels Fashion failed to comment.

Another one bites the dust

A BRITISH fugitive has been arrested for drug trafficking.

The 26-year-old, who has not been named, has been hunted by UK police since January.

He was busted in Estepona when he was stopped by Policia Nacional officers checking documentation at a checkpoint in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The man is wanted for trafficking drugs, narcotics and prescription medication.

The Brit is the latest of several criminals to be arrested hiding out in Spain over the last month.

In the past fortnight the Olive Press exposed a violent gun nut from Manchester found laying low in Almeria. We also reported on a 28-year-old Brit who was arrested following a bar fight in Mijas and wanted on drug offences in the West Midlands.

Another wanted man was picked up in Barcelona.

IMPLANT BRIDGE

GANG BOSS: Amir accused of death of Heaven boss Ramos’

Dane detained A DANISH fugitive has been arrested in Dubai over a pair of high-profile gangland killings on the Costa del Sol last year.

The gang Amir Mekky allegedly led has also been linked to 17 murders in Sweden, as well as extortion and drug trafficking.

Mekky is believed to be behind the shocking drive-by shooting of the 36-year-old owner of the Heaven Beach chiringuito, David Avila Ramos, as he left his daughter’s communion in San Pedro in May 2018.

The Dane of Iranian heritage is also wanted for his part in the slaying of a 34-year-old man on the doorstep of a luxury Estepona villa months later.

He is in addition accused of ordering two bomb attacks in Marbella and Benahavis.

IMPLANT DENTURE

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Council conned AN Andalucian town hall has become the victim of cyber crime.

Cordoba city council was left €400,000 poorer, after its Urban Planning Department was conned by online fraudsters.

The scammers managed to use a fake official document to trick the town hall into making the large payment in February.

They used a fraudulent email address and copied a commercial document to include a new account that did not correspond to the actual company.

A second payment of €200,000 was thankfully stopped before it could be transferred.

According to the Guardia Civil, cyber fraud rose by 70% during the lockdown.

5

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Horrific!

Police probe house of horrors with dozens of animals dead

OVER 100 animals have been rescued from squalid conditions, surrounded by the decaying corpses of dogs, rabbits, pigeons and chickens, in Murcia.

The Guardia Civil’s nature protection service Seprona was alerted by concerned neighbours after they realised no one had visited the property in the small town of Moratalla for some time.

Officers were met with a scene of horror.

A menagerie in ‘deplorable’ condition was discovered, with the stench of decomposing animals overwhelming

Sewage shame ENVIRONMENTALISTS have called for the closure of a stunning Andalucian beach after another raw sewage spill.

A bout of rain has once again overwhelmed storm drains near Playa de Los Lances in Tarifa.

Water containing ‘faecal matter’ gushed onto the ecologically protected sand strip and the adjacent paseo, according to Verdemar-Ecologistas en Accion.

“It is causing irreparable damage to the environment in the environment of the protected area, it is a repeated spill without the Government caring,” a spokesperson from the organisation said.

Playa de Los Lances, which sits northwest of Tarifa is one of several Costa de la Luz beaches, which are a mecca for surfers and windsurfers from around the world.

CARNAGE: Bodies of dead dogs littered the house the house.

Excrement and urine were in every room of the property, which was filled with dogs, rabbits, chickens, pigeons, wild finches – a protected species - and a Vietnamese

SQUALID: Terrible state

pig. They had no access to food and water.

None of the animals had the required veterinary documentation.

Police took the rescued animals for vet treatment before handing them over to animal sanctuaries, who are now looking after them.

The owner of the property is being investigated on numerous charges, including animal abandonment and possession of a protected species.

Guardia Civil were helped by the CARM Animal Health Service, the Cleaning and Disinfection Service, the El Valle Centre for the Recovery of Fauna and Flora in Murcia and an animal recovery centre in Mazarron, as well as local police.

TM

p

u

e

r

t

o

b

a

n

u

s

th

10th ANNIVERSARY

10K GIVEAWAY

y r a s r e v i n n A

10 LUCKY PEOPLE

More Details Coming Soon! Sign up to Sala Rewards today to get ahead of the competition.

www.SALAREWARDS.com

5

6

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Deal with this scum AS Spain tries to recover from the coronavirus crisis it definitely cannot afford to get a bad name for tourists.

Millions of foreigners are eagerly scouring holiday websites looking to rent a villa or apartment as they try to brighten what has been a very miserable year.

So to find themselves scammed by a lowlife keyboard warrior over a villa rental in Marbella or Mallorca will be the final insult.

Sadly, the world is full of dodgy people looking to make a fast buck at the expense of honest, hard-working holidaymakers, as the Olive Press has pointed out for the last three summers.

But not everyone is willing to lie down and accept losing thousands of pounds, as we report on the front page this issue.

Hats off to Lucia Myers who turned detective to ensure someone was held to account for a fake website advert that stole money and inevitably wrecked dozens, if not hundreds, of holidays in Spain.

A jail sentence resulted for one con man – suspended as long as the cash was paid back.

But now, by the simple method of declaring bankruptcy, scammer Alvaro Lopez Uribe seems to have got away scot free.

Legal experts say it is highly unlikely a court will activate his jail sentence.

If Spain is to recover from the coronavirus crisis then such conmen need to be brought to account. And sent to jail for a stiff sentence.

Justice must be done, otherwise people will – like the Myers family – simply go elsewhere.

Every little counts IT has been 13 long years since Madeleine McCann disappeared.

Leads have been unearthed and followed, but none have answered the question of what became of this heart-breakingly gorgeous little girl.

Now police in Germany and the UK have their biggest lead yet – but they need your help in tracing the movements of prime suspect Christian Brueckner.

The Olive Press sent its reporters, plus editor Jon Clarke, around the four corners of the Iberian Peninsula at the weekend to follow up leads.

Do not hesitate to help if you know anything. Even the tiniest thing can help Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry to finally bring this horribly long and painful saga to an end.

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Charlie Smith charlie@theolivepress.es

Joshua Parfitt joshua@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

John Culatto johnc@theolivepress.es

Dimitris Kouimtsidis dimitris@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Isha Sesay isha.sesay@hotmail.com

Simon Wade simon@theolivepress.es

Admin Beatriz Sanllehí (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

Office manager Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

Distribution ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es

Newsdesk: 0034 951 273 575 For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75 Head office

Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva Deposito Legal MA: 835-2017

AWARDS

2016 - 2020 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2020

Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

FEATURE

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

A life in the ti Rodents on the rampage, cockroaches and flies on the uptick, a bacteria dubbed ‘the other coronavirus’ wiping out olive trees … COVID-19 is bringing pestilence to our doorstep and turning the natural world upside down. And that’s not half of what we can expect in 2020 - prophetically, the Chinese Year of the Rat, as Cristina Hodgson (right) reports

W

HOEVER thought there would come a time when we’d see peacocks strutting in the streets of Madrid or wild boar trotting through downtown Barcelona.

As people around the globe change their daily behaviour to slow the spread of COVID-19, the absence of people is having a ripple effect throughout the ecosystems of the RATS: It’s their year world.

DEADLY:

Experts anticipated Red palm that many pests would weevil flourish as a direct result of decreased human activity, especially in and around urban areas.

Rats in particular have come out of hiding as lockdown eliminates litter on the ground and rubbish in bins. Some have even taken to the streets in broad daylight and invaded homes in a frantic search for food.

According to Favio Ulloa, of Prestige Pest Services, New Jersey ‘There could be about two million rats running around in New York City.’ Coronavirus may have put

paid to Chinese New Year celebrations this January but their Year of the Rat is living up to its name.

In Spain and the UK it’s not only rats that are running rampant.

Both countries have seen an uptick in cockroaches and flies. Add in the seasonal invasion of mozzies and other pests as the summer months approach, and unwanted visitors are out in force.

Pest control is already in action on the frontline of public health and agricultural sectors worldwide; and now their work could prove even more essential

Lowering the Tone Mud slinging in the Cortes is putting Spanish politics to shame, writes seasoned commentator Lenox Napier

T

HE current crop of insults traded in the Spanish Parliament reached a new low last month when PP spokesperson Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo (right) branded Pablo Iglesias (below) ‘the son of a terrorist’.

You may not like his hairstyle or the colour of his politics but does the leader of Unidas Podemos deserve such an insult … or, indeed, does his father?

The Speaker, for one, didn’t think so. He ordered ‘La Marquesa’ as she is known, to withdraw the slander. She refused. Then ex-president Jose María Aznar added his centimo-worth, telling reporters that she was right to make the point.

Not all of the PP sees mud slinging as a valid tactic with another conservative leader, Galician President Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, saying that such attacks against a political opponent ‘are a grave error’.

But, as one political observer from the University of Barcelona puts it, ‘Politics is not like football, with goals scored against the other side in the Cortes’.

Nor should we, the citizens, be behaving like fans as ‘our team’ scores an insult on the other side, shouting simplistic slogans and waving our party-colours like football scarves. Nevertheless it’s a game of two halves and even the media has joined in with enthusiasm.

The ‘story’ that Pablo’s father Javier was a notorious political hit-man who once murdered a policeman is a ‘bulo’ - an invention - first put out by a Vox MEP called Hermann Tertsch who was subsequently ordered to pay €15,000 to Javier for his calumnies (plus a further €12,000 for slandering Pablo’s uncle into the bargain) back in 2016.

My thoughts by Lenox Napier

Javier was publicly accused of ‘terrorism’ in 2016 by the leading MEP for Vox, an ex-journalist called Herman Tertsch. He wrote that Javier was part of the ‘FRAP In fact Iglesias Senior was spending two communist terror group’ who murdered a months in prison for sharing political policeman. In fact, Javier was banged up leaflets (commie propaganda if you like) and on rations of bread and water when at the time of the shooting in 1973. Pabthe crime was committed. Now, reluclo’s mother didn’t mince her words later, tantly, he must sue La Marquesa. ‘I hate Tweeting that Álvarez de Toledo was ‘a having to go through with this, precisely fork-tongued tin-pot marquise’. because, when politicians are sued for Spain is once again in a period of politislander, it’s the taxpayer who has to foot cal extremes and although nothing written the bill, because politicians are exempt’, here will necessarily change the views of he says. readers, background is always a useful Coincidentally, Pablo’s grandfather Manthing. uel was a socialist politician who was So let’s take a closer look at the wispy comimprisoned and sentenced to death, latmunist politician with the ponytail, second er commuted to 30 years (finally he only vice-president of Spain and – keeping it served four) following the close to home – married to Spanish Civil War. He died Irene Montero, the 32 year1988. His great-unold Minister for Equality.

Pablo, with his in cle (also slandered by Pablo Iglesias is well-versed rebel hairstyle Tertsch) was an air-force in his subject. He took Law captain executed by the and Political Science at and politics, is Nationalists in 1939 and university and has a PhD, in an unmarked grave. among several other dishated by the PP lies Pablo, with his rebel hairtinctions. He later became a style and far-left politics, voters lecturer in political science is basically anathema to a at Madrid’s Complutense swathe of Spanish voters.

University. He formed PoHe is regularly accused demos in late 2013 and the next year of being in the pay of Nicolas Maduro became an MEP for the party. He speaks from Venezuela (who for some improbItalian and English. able reason wants to bring his ‘BolivariThere’s no doubt that his ideas stem from an revolution’ to Spain). Much is also his background (‘Pablo Iglesias’ was also made of his new home in a swanky part the name of the historic founder of both of Madrid. While it was bought with two the PSOE in 1879 and the UGT general mortgages, many people think he should workers union nine years later). be living up to his ideology in a draughty His father Javier, loft somewhere in a working class disnow a retired work trict. Meanwhile, the Anticapitalistas (the inspector who Junta de Andalucía’s Teresa Rodríguez, also studied Law the mayor of Cádiz José María González, at Complutense, known as ‘Kichi’ and others… who recentwas an anti-Franco ly resigned from Unidas Podemos) have activist in his day claimed indignantly that Pablo Iglesias ‘… (there were lots of has now evolved towards more moderate them, as might be positions’. Something of a sin for a lefty. supposed). His son The right, when not chipping away at the Pablo says of him national government, claims that ‘the cor‘For the Dictatorrosivity in politics is due to Podemos’. The ship, he was conright-wing ABC newspaper recently ran sidered a criminal, not one but two articles with the peculiar and so he still is by COMRADES: Podemos leader Iglesias with his assertion that Pablo Iglesias is plotting a the spokesperson pamphleting padre (left) who was labelled a terrocoup d’état. for the Partido Poprist by the Spanish far right We hope he takes his father’s advice first. ular, 50 years later’.

7

www.theolivepress.es

ime of plague FATAL: The bite of an asp viper

Olive Press online ‘Spain’s best English news website’

Leading the way

W as unwelcome critters flourish during the coronavirus outbreak.

A town in the province of Malaga has recently spent over €5,000 on batches of Torymus sinensis wasps in order to protect its chestnut productions.

They are the natural predators of the Chinese chestnut wasp which has been wreaking havoc on chestnut production in the Malaga town of Farajan.

They are not a new threat - the area has suffered from this winged plague for the last five years resulting in the almost total destruction of the chestnut crops behind Marbella’s La Concha mountain.

However treatment during the pandemic is crucial.

“Animals are always quick to adapt and, as a result, we expect that many pest species will flourish because of these necessary global measures,” according to PelGar International, leading British manufacturer of insecticides around the world.

Meanwhile, failure to act in time is having a detrimental effect on the fight against Xylella in Italy where the dangerous bacteria affecting olive trees has been nicknamed ‘the other coronavirus’.

Xylella, neglected in Italy as the country battled to control COVID-19, has resulted in 600 new cases, 100 of them in olive trees with no containment measures.

“The coronavirus pandemic cannot be an excuse for not dealing with emergencies like Xylella, an epidemic that is threatening the extinction of olive groves throughout the Mediterranean,” says Carmela Riccardi, president of the Association of the Comité Libero Anti-Xylella.

In Spain meanwhile, the first outbreak of Xylella fastidiosa was detected at the end of 2016 in Mallorca.

Subsequently, numerous other outbreaks have been recorded in the Balearics while in June 2017 it was detected for the first time on the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in almond plantations in the Alicante town of Guadalest.

More recently, in 2018, its presence was reported in olive groves of Villarejo, Madrid.

The disease could cost billions of euros over the next 50 years in Spain, Italy and Greece, the three countries most susceptible to the bacterium because of prevailing climatic conditions. Together, they account for almost 95% of PREDATORY: European olive Asian wasp oil production.

As a result, severe restrictions are being placed on imports of olive trees and lavender bushes, where Xylella also thrives, in an effort to halt the deadly infection.

Another big threat is posed by the lethal red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), first detected in Spain in 1993 in the Granada coastal towns of Motril and Almuñecar. This invasive species hitched a ride on palms imported from Egypt causing astronomical damage to

Creepy crawlies and more...

Rodents, cockroaches and bedbugs are the most widespread pests in Spain. Other destructive animals and harmful creepy crawlies found in Spain include: Processionary pine caterpillars (Thaumetopoea Pityocampa): Don’t be deceived by their cute and furry look, avoid touching! They are extremely dangerous to children and dogs. That said, the species is protected in Spain and can be found all over the national territory.

Spiders: There are over 1,700 species of arachnid in Spain, but only four are in any way harmful to humans. The ones to watch out for are the Mediterranean tarantula, the Mediterranean funnel web, the black widow and the brown recluse spider.

Scorpions: Buthus Occitanus, the common yellow scorpion, has a painful sting and when food is lacking, the females are known to eat the males.

You might also come across the European black scorpion but it’s sting is less painful than a bee’s.

Snakes: There are 13 different types of slitherer in Spain, five of them fatal to humans. Beware of the asp viper, Lataste’s viper (aka snub-nosed viper), Seoane’s viper, false smooth snake and the den adder or common viper Fortunately, of the estimated 50 snakebite deaths a year in Europe, only three to six occur in Spain.

Wild boar which have become so numerous that they now venture into towns, even camping out in Barcelona and Madrid. Fencing off the countryside to try to keep them at bay is complicated and the more time the boars spend in urban areas, the more fearless they become and encroach increasingly on non-rural zones.

DID YOU KNOW?

palm trees as it spread along the coast, running up ‘billions of euros’ in bills for treatments to curb its rampage.

Huge economic damage, border restrictions on imports ... sound familiar?

Controlling coronavirus and harmful pests on a global scale have many similarities.

A key question on deciding the best course of action in both cases is whether to focus on eliminating the harmful species entirely or controlling its spread to prevent the next outbreak.

According to Adam Lampert, an assistant professor with the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at ASU, three factors determine whether the species should be controlled or eradicated: the annual cost of maintaining the controlled population, the natural growth rate of the harmful species, and its response to the treatment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Covid coin, lockdown could be endangering wildlife.

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), together with CREAF, an ecological and forestry institute attached to Barcelona’s Autonomous University, warn that the reduced presence of people in open spaces is creating ‘a false perception that cities are suitable places to live’.

Lockdown is effectively an ecological trap for many animals.

The coronavirus outbreak has coincided with the breeding season of many species. Birds are nesting in areas that were previously avoided due to human activity and noise pollution. When traffic returns to normal levels, the chances are offspring will suffer.

But environmental organisations such as the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO Birdlife) and the World Wildlife Fund stress that the reduced human presence in urban areas will not last long enough to alter the behaviour of fauna.

In the meantime, animals are reclaiming what used to be their natural habitat.

Peacocks have invaded the streets of Madrid, a giant eight-metre shark was videoed prowling the waters off Granada, and dolphins DANGER: Pine caterpillars can kill in Mallorca are swimming in water once polluted with sewage.

The pandemic is turning nature upside down but who knows, it just might be our opportunity to create a new and better world.

HEN it comes to English language newspapers in Spain there is one, literally only one, that invests in quality journalism – the Olive Press.

We are proud to be the only investigative expat publication in the country and know that we rely on the quality of our staff to bring you the latest news.

This is why whenever trained and experienced journalists are available, we reach out a hand to pull them on board.

The newest member of the team is highly experienced former BBC journalist Alex Trelinski (right). After 30 years with the BBC as a journalist, presenter and sports reporter, he moved to the Costa Blanca and carried on reporting for local papers.

Having had a bad experience with one particular local rag, he now joins other journalists with extensive national media experience on our team.

These include: Dilip Kuner (below), who has years of writing and editing expertise, including the UK’s Sunday Mirror.

The irrepressible Giles Brown is a former Mirror man, while our very own Mistress of Sizzle, Belinda Beckett, worked on the Daily Express before making Spain her home.

And it’s fair to say that the UK national press recognises the talent nurtured by the Olive Press under owner and editor Jon Clarke – who himself still contributes articles to the Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail on a regular basis.

Bylines familiar to our readers include Tom Powell, now on The Standard in London, Iona Napier (below) who walked into a job with ITN after her stint in Spain and Joe Duggan who is now a reporter at The Sun. The reason? We give our staff the chance to shine. No other English language newspaper in Spain would even consider dedicating two journalists to sniffing out information over several days on one story, as we have, this week alone.

Our Digital Editor Laurence Dollimore has been in Portugal to cover the Madeleine McCann case for five days, while our Alicante man Joshua Parfitt has been digging for more information about the chief suspect on the Costa Blanca for two days.

The Olive Press values journalism – which means we value our staff and they value us.

The results speak for themselves, we hope.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: woman arrested after lying that €140 had 1- British been illegally withdrawn from her bank account (21,901) British expat on Spain's Costa del 2-SolEXCLUSIVE: has card details hacked losing nearly €500, but bank refuses to refund amount (20,363) Police in UK and Spain reopen case 3- ofEXCLUSIVE: Costa del Sol bar owner who vanished 27 years ago (18,001) Two arrested in Benidorm after robbing foreign 4-cars at ‘40 golf courses’ across Spain’s Costa Blanca (17,958) From June 8 you can travel throu5- BREAKING: ghout whole of Spain's Andalucia, Government announces (14,853)

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote

www.theolivepress.es T PA ES EX RO HE

Every life is precious

British expat saves woman trying to jump off bridge on Costa del Sol A BRAVE British expat has saved a woman’s life after she tried to kill herself.

Reace John, 27, was on his way to the gym in Marbella, when he saw a woman on a bridge frantically waving and shouting at him.

“It looked as if the blonde lady was trying to stop another woman from climbing over the railings”, the business-owner told the Olive Press.

The Brit, from Kent, saw a woman lose her grip and sprinted to try and catch the latter before she killed herself.

“I ran as fast as I could and right at the end thought I wouldn’t make it, so I closed my eyes because I didn’t want to see her fall.”

HERO: Reace John with young child

Exclusive by Dimitris Kouimtsidis

That’s when he miraculously managed to latch onto her shoulders and bring her back over the railings and pinned her down.

He kept hold of the woman for 12 minutes before police arrived, when she stopped trying to escape and collapsed, before being taken to hospital.

The expat hasn’t come to terms with what’s happened and is distraught at the fact that some people’s lives are so tough that they choose to end it.

“It was clear from the minute the lockdown was introduced, some people’s mental health would be seriously affected, but no precautions were taken.

“People need to know that they are not alone and that they can seek help to cope with their mental health problems.”

If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental health issues and is having suicidal thoughts, then call the 112 national emergency number, or the Telefono de la Esperanza which is 717 003 717.

NEWS

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Mucky magnate

British oil tycoon to be tried for mistreatment, sexual and physical abuse in Marbella

By Charlie Smith

A SHADY British tycoon who is accused of abusing a harem of lovers is to be tried in absentia, a Spanish court has revealed.

Shoja ‘Sacha’ Shojai is to be tried over a campaign of abuse in which he ‘kicked and slapped’ women and grabbed them around the necks.

The 62-year-old multimillionaire is facing several charges, including ‘mistreatment and injuries’.

Shojai is facing 12 years in prison for his alleged domestic violence against five women he lived with in Marbella.

The oil magnate is also said to have been in relationships and fathered children with the women, who he met in London and Spain.

SHADY: Shoja ‘Sacha’ Shojai is accused of long list The court was forced to suspend the case last year when Shojai failed to turn up.

A ‘search and capture’ order was put out for his arrest but the Brit, who has Irani heritage, has still not been located and will be tried in his absence.

While he consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing he has apparently vanished.

Before going AWOL, Shojai told the Olive Press that he was the victim of a set up to ransack his ‘palace’, which he rented for €7,000 a month in the Sierra Blanca hills, above Marbella.

He labelled the women’s claims ‘crazy lies’, claiming they were a ploy to steal millions of euros worth of his belongings while he was temporarily behind bars.

Shojai feared the theft of his 50 Persian rugs, four French tapestries, 10 statues and 300 items of gold and diamonds.

He also said he had lost €15,000 in cash, televisions and various pieces of art.

Violence

In an exclusive interview he revealed how he was forced to shell out €5,000 for the storage of his treasures while he was in custody.

On his release, he claimed that getting his belongings back home had required 15 men, two lorry trips and even police supervision.

He said: “It is incredible how they boxed up and loaded all of this stuff in just one day, when it usually takes me a month to move house.

“I just cannot believe it, everything was taken, even my cups, my towels, all of my books. Everything.”

Among Shojai’s alleged victims are his Danish ex-wife, 39, who is the mother to two of his children.

He was also accused of abusing a Kazakhstani woman, 21, who aborted his child, and a Turkmenistani student he met in London when she was 20 and who he also had a child with.

Prosecutors claim he ‘maintained a relationship of domination, submission and mentoring towards all of them during their time in Spain’.

A statement added, he deprived them of money, ‘forcing them into non-desired sexual practices and making them take contraceptives or the morning after pill as well as other substances to relax them.

“He also forced them to watch violent films in front of their young children, imposing conditions on them which included

not speaking and making sure they were always smiling in social gatherings and not crying or showing their emotions.”

A probe by Marbella’s Court Number Two was also looking into allegations that the date rape drug Rohypnol had been found at his house.

Although denying abuse, Shojai did not deny that he slept with some of the women.

Dogman

In 2014 he said: “I have been completely framed. It was all arranged by one of the girls.

“She knew that all they had to do was say I had beaten and raped them and I would be locked up in Spain.

“Hence one day I was suddenly arrested and accused of family violence and beating people up.

“It meant being dragged straight to the police station where I was held for 48 hours.”

Back in 2012, the Olive Press gained exclusive access to his Marbella ‘lair’ at the invitation of the notorious expat conman, the late David ‘the Dogman’ Klein.

Shojai was described as a ‘very dear’ friend of the shady RollsRoyce-driving trickster, who was a long-time columnist for the Euro Weekly News.

VANISHED: Cooper

Mystery of missing expat BRITISH police have reopened an investigation into the disappearance of an expat 27 years after she was last seen.

Bernadette Cooper vanished without a trace, leaving behind a 13-year-old son and many friends in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol. Now, as her 77th birthday approaches on June 20, her family has put out an appeal for anyone who knew Bernadette or has any information about her - no matter how insignificant it may seem.

Her nephew, Leon Moore, 61, told the Olive Press: “She was a very feisty, determined and liked lady. It is inconceivable that she would just decide to disappear.”

She had run Molly Malone’s pub in Benalmadena that is now trading as Wheels, Tapas and Punters on Ave Antonio Machado.

She briefly returned to Mitcham (London) to finalise a divorce from her estranged husband.

Bernadette was hoping to raise the cash to re-open her bar.

According to Leon, in January 1993 one of her friends in Spain received a triumphal phone call saying Bernadette was ‘on the way back with the money’, but she never arrived.

Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es if you can help

Laura Martinez Valero

8

Strawberry fields for terror EXPLOITED strawberry pickers are regularly abused by their gangmasters after a long day’s toil, it has been claimed.

A charity, Women’s Link Worldwide, is calling for a probe into the rights of the mostly migrant workers in Andalucia.

It claims the Moroccan seasonal fruit pickers have been left vulnerable to unscrupulous bosses, who behave like sexual predators.

In a communication to several UN departments, Women’s Link, backed by seven other organisations, also raised the alarm over the risks.

“These workers may be exposed to new forms of exploitation, particularly sexual violence, due to greater difficulties in accessing healthcare and the justice system,” said a spokesman.

Around 7,000 of the usual 18,000 seasonal workers are expected to travel between Morocco and Spain this year.

LA CULTURA ART lovers are in for a treat at Madrid’s Prado Museum.

It has now reopened its doors and announced stringent coronavirus restrictions to ensure the safety of visitors.

This meant it had to keep attendances to fewer than 1,800 people a day, and large sections of the massive art gallery had to remain closed.

With just a quarter of exhibition space open, many of the most famous works by artists of the calibre of Velazquez, El Greco, Rubens, Tit-

9

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Pure Prado

ian and Goya were out of bounds.

So Miguel Falomir, director of the art gallery, decided to bring together 250 of the most important works into one ‘super exhibition’.

The 16 exhibition rooms host what Falomir calls an ‘unprecedented’ concentration of the greatest art pieces in the museum collection.

He said: “As many times as you have seen the Prado, you have never seen it like this. And you will probably never again be able to see it like this.

This is pure Prado.”

Summer shutdown

20th Anniversary! – 20 years serving you from our Mijas Shop

Splash Pools Mijas S.L. (just below the restaurant Valparaiso)

Large shop and office just off the Carretera de Mijas Easy parking for collection of chemicals Extensive stock of pool accessories, pool toys and games and equipment FREE test of pool water at the shop – just pop in with a small sample Professional maintenance service – tailored to suit your needs | Pool Construction Specialists in leak detection, repairs and renovations New pool builds with 10 year guarantees Installation of pool heaters and automatic covers

All ferias ordered to be postponed until September

THEY scrapped Semana Santa, now they have called off feria season.

The Junta has ordered that all town carnivals should be cancelled until at least September amid COVID-19 fears.

Health chiefs have warned that 37 ferias and festivals planned for June, July and August must be postponed.

The move is a devastating blow to the region’s already-crippled economy, which could shrink by up to

CANCELLED: Malaga feria is one of the oldest in Andalucia

16.2% this year.

The call to curtail this summer’s events came after spokesman Elias Bendodo said it was ‘completely impossible’ to maintain strict health protocols at these

No fun at the feria!

THE cancellation of the Feria de Malaga is set to cost the city €160m in lost revenue.

It was last cancelled in 1941, due to Typhus, which caused 500 deaths that year, and it is the 21st time it has been cancelled in its 133 year history.

Launched in 1887 to celebrate the victory of the Catholic Monarchs in the city in 1487, wars, epidemics and economic problems have been the principal causes of previous cancellations.

The Cuban War, the First World War and the Civil War forced the cancellation of the city’s feria during several consecutive years.

The Feria de Malaga’s last edition in 2019 boasted 800,000 square metres of food, rides, music and more.

There were more than 120 stalls at the Cortijo de Torres fairground, as well as city centre events, while some tents saw revellers dance the night away until 7am.

Open 8am to 3.30pm Mon to Fri Tel: 952 591 053 / 667 788 291 For directions go to: www.splashpoolsmijas.com

huge summer gatherings.

Bendodo also urged ‘common sense’ in the fight against coronavirus, while emphasising that the ferias are the responsibility of the town halls.

He said: “Other moments will come, but now it is time to secure the end (of the pandemic) and not to take any wrong steps.

“We have based our recommendation on scientific reports.”

The biggest summer event, the Feria de Malaga, which was pencilled in for August 15, had already been cancelled. Granada, Marbella, Algeciras and Estepona are among the main victims.

The cancellation of the Feria de Sevilla and Semana Santa in Sevilla is said to have cost the city around €1.2 billion in revenue.

It comes despite Andalucia entering Phase 3 of the lockdown exit plan.

Wa k e s u r f Wa k e b o a r d Wa te r s k i Amazing place for everything from a day trip to a week’s holiday Perfect for everyone from absolute beginners to pros Latest boats and equipment

Not so Neanderthal

SEALS: Nerja’s cave art

A TEAM of researchers has decided that what was thought to be the only example of Neanderthal cave painting in the world may be the work of modern humans after all.

It comes after ancient cave paintings found in Nerja’s famous caves in 2012 were hailed as being possibly the only Neanderthal art ever discovered.

The abstract pictures are thought to depict seals that the cavemen would have hunted.

The team analysed charcoal remains found beside six of the paintings with radiocarbon dating suggesting they were between

43,500 and 42,300 years old.

Further studies using uranium and thorium deposits gave a similar date.

It would have made the unique pictures more ancient than the 30,000-year-old Chauvet cave in France.

Now Granada university has said doubt that the uranium and thorium element samples taken did not give an accurate figure as they were probably washed in from elsewhere in the cave system.

This means the paintings are probably much younger and the work of more modern humans.

Stunning fresh water lake

Bar & restaurant Terrace & plunge pool Lakeside log cabins or villas

xtreme -gene.com

Xtreme Gene Watersp orts Complex, Cordoba Southern Spain Email : info@ xtreme-gene.com Tel: 0034 95705701 For the latest news and information, find us on Facebook

10

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

I

LA CULTURA EXCLUSIVE: Jon Clarke goes on the hunt of La Tigresa, the evil ETA terrorist who inspired the BBC’s hit Killing Eve

T is one of Spain’s famously isolated portrayed by Jodie Comer in the hit BBC mountain redoubts. An obscure cor- drama Killing Eve. ner of heavily depopulated Salaman- Luke Jennings, whose novels form the ca province, which borders Extremad- basis of the TV drama, read about Idoia ura, hugging the Portugal border. in Spanish newspapers in the 1980s, Some four hours from Madrid, the when her face would regularly appear village of Puerto Seguro sits inside on wanted posters in police stations the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, a and other public places. ‘She was clear110,000 hectare reserve, celebrated ly a psychopath and completely without for its stunning scenery and wildlife, in- empathy,’ he recently recalled. cluding Golden Eagles, Black storks and But while Villanelle has displayed no thousands of wild boar and deer. remorse for her extravagantly sadistic It is also here that Spain’s most evil fe- ‘hits’, Idoia has renounced her crimes male murderer Idoia Lopez Riano, and is seeking to build a new life. better known as ‘La Tigresa’ Having been controversially released (the Tigress) first learnt to from prison in 2017, the Olive Press stalk her prey. can reveal she firstly moved to Andorra, Now internationally famous where her sister lives, before setting up for becoming the inspira- home in Barcelona, having learnt Catation for the BBC’s hit drama lan - among other languages - while in Killing Eve, the former ETA prison. terrorist with striking green Even more amazingly, her mother Mari eyes is said to be an occa- speaking for the first time - claims she is sional visitor back to these ‘happy’ and working for the Red Cross, parts, with her parents although in what capacity she declined having recently re-settled to reveal. here away from the Basque Talking outside her simple cottage up Country, where she was an alleyway in the heart of the village, politicised. she told the Olive Press her daughter They live in nearby Villar de had been ‘turning things around’ since Ciervo - appropriately mean- her release. ing Deer Town - where the Animated and friendly, she continues: Tigress would “She speaks three or hang out as a four languages now and teenager at sumis throwing herself into mer ferias, wearing “She was clearly the work. Idoia is with the short skirts and flirting Red Cross in Barcelona. a psychopath with the local boys.

She is very happy and evand completely eryone loves her there.’

This was the so-called without ‘movida’ of the late While declining to say ex1970s, a time of exactly what the job is - or empathy” cess in Spain, where whether she has a boythe extreme clausfriend and children - she trophobia of a dicadds: “No, she has no tatorship quickly children yet, but she is moved to a liberal society in the turning things around. I’m proud of her.” space of a few years, following The contrast between her supposeddictator General Franco’s death ly new humanitarian work and role as in 1975. a commando with ETA, whose violent While she would often become campaign left more than 850 people the life of the party and ‘one dead, is as clear as her role as assassin of the girls’ hanging around was with her idyllic childhood. in a mini gang every summer, With piercing eyes and dark hair tumthings suddenly ended when bling over her shoulders, Idoia was ‘just at the age of 16 in 1980, she one of the girls’ in the Puerto Seguro met a boyfriend back home in area, according to her cousin, Jose AnErrenteria, near San Sebas- tonio Lopez, whose family also moved tian, and stopped coming for decades to the Basque Region. ‘home’.

She would come and stay in one of the Within four years she had various family homes in the village in joined the Basque inde- summer and other times of year. pendence group ETA “I remember Idoia as normal, a fun girl, and murdered her first who tended to mix with the older kids,” victim, a French busi- he recalls. “She would flirt with the boys nessman. and tease them… but she was pretty By the time she was soft and fun and nice. I just don’t underfinally jailed in 2003, stand what went wrong up there in the she had murdered Basque region.” at least 23 peo- Yet he has his theories and by his own ple and earned a admittance the family was politicised. chilling reputa- He explains how their grandfather was tion as a psycho- a working man, and while he was left path who would wing he was cultured. He learnt to read, pause to admire which was not normal back in his day, her reflection and he would put on theatre nights at before execut- their farmhouse on the edge of the viling her next lage in summer and he would read his victim. grandchildren stories and sing songs.

Little won- “Yes, we were republicans, but we were der then that not radical and we did not support the Idoia, now 56, extreme violent tactics of the likes of became the ETA despite all of us living up there in i n s p i r a t i o n the Basque Region for most of the year.” for Villanelle, Now living in the village, where he works another al- as an ad-hoc tour guide at the ethnologluring, but ical museum, he goes on to give an inpsychopathic triguing insight into the divides that still GROOVY: Jodie Comer as stylish killer Villanelle, whose contract killer last to this day. character is based on a Spanish terrorist

ETA KILLER: Idoia and her father (left) quietly sipping a cold one in idyllic Villar de Ciervo (main pic) He tells me about the lists of ‘rojos’ (reds) put together before and after the Civil War, ‘people to keep an eye on’, and plenty were executed or had to escape.

“One of my uncles, a teacher like my father, was killed for being left wing.”

Another villager Teodoro Reyes, 62, takes up the theme.

He confirmed that Idoia’s grandfather

Froilan was known as ‘Froilan the rojo’ and his son Melchor, a carpenter by trade, always carried a torch for the socialists.

“The whole family are left wing, always have been, always will be,” insists the farmer, adding that it was a tragic tale ‘that still isn’t over’.

Like so many problems in Spain, its roots stretch back to the troubled 1920s and

Legacy of violence Idoia was eventually released after condemning ETA’S campaign of violence and was promptly expelled.

As part of her punishment, Riano’s name was scrubbed from the roll call of 700 prisoners, denying her family the offer of financial support from the group. Shunned by fellow inmates, the one time pin-up terrorist no longer gazed down from posters on the walls of bars across the Basque Country.

Riano also agreed to join a ‘programme of reconciliation’ in which victims meet ETA prisoners and in 2016 made a public plea for forgiveness.

In a letter to judges at Spain’s national court, she wrote: ‘I committed an immense, terrible and awful error to believe that I should be a member of ETA. It is an irreparable error I feel every time I breathe.’

ETA disbanded in 2018, ending a five-decade campaign. In an open letter, it wrote that ‘years of confrontation have left deep wounds and we have to give them the chance to heal. Some are still bleeding, because the suffering is not in the past.’

LA CULTURA

11

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Tracking La Tigresa “She just got led astray,” insists her mother, (right) while her father is the picture of sadness

30s and the bloody civil war that swept classic joie de vivre. ambitious army general Francisco Fran- She was also an emigree, also from a co to power and an ensuing 40-year dic- humble background, and the pair got tatorship. married, bought a decent apartment in “Froilan being a supporter of the de- the bustling town, some 10 miles from feated republic had to flee as the civil the emblematic tourist resort of San war swept through the area,” explains Sebastian.

Reyes. “He would have been killed, like But they were about as far removed thousands of others... summarily exe- from the affluent, upper class residents cuted, for sure.” of the celebrated nearby Basque resort Being a rugged mountain region, just a as could be, and maintained their workfew miles from the Portuguese border, it ing class roots and zeal. wouldn’t have been hard for him to get It is perhaps not surprising then that away, and indeed return, which he did Idoia, with a sense of injustice, like her some years later, ending up with a wife parents, somehow got into a radical, reAdela from the neighbouring village, bellious crowd and went on to commit and with four children, crimes in the name of two boys, Melchor, the elindependence. dest, and two sisters.

“Either way, it created “My mother While today one of an unhealable rift in our Spain’s classic rural de- burying her son family,” continues cousin lights - protected as a UNJose Antonio. “My father ESCO biosphere reserve, at such a young really struggled with havand with its own ‘Parque a niece who killed so age destroyed ing Natural’ status - it was a many people.” tough existence for the As her mother sees it, her” working classes who had her 16-year-old impresto eke out a living on the sionable daughter was poor rocky soils that domsimply led astray by firstinate the area. ly an older boyfriend, and then by ETA. So it was almost inevitable that in the “Up there in the Basque region was late 1950s, the children ended up leav- a certain time in history,” she insists, ing, with Melchor choosing to proffer his shrugging her shoulders at her front services in the rapidly growing industri- gate. “She simply got involved with the al region inland from San Sebastian. A wrong crowd. I can’t say why, it just hapskilled carpenter, he had no problem pened.” finding work in the dormitory town of It has clearly hit a raw nerve and she Errenteria, which saw tens of thousands doesn’t want to elaborate further. Blamof poor southern Spanish residents relo- ing the need to make lunch, she adds: cate there for work.

“I really don’t want to go into that and It was here he was to meet his wife Mari, my husband is adamant he will not talk a quirky Extremenan girl, from nearby to anyone. He wants to have a peaceful Badajoz, with piercing blue eyes and a and happy life and doesn’t like to think

ONE OF THE GIRL as a ‘nice’ girl plaS: Idoia’s cousin Jose Antonio Lo pe ying in the fields around the Puertoz remembers her Seguro area

MURDERED: Juan Luis shows off pics and medals of his brother killed by an ETA car bomb planted

by Idoia in 1986

of that part of our history.”

But that part is now well documented.

Displaying a natural talent for terror, Idoia rapidly became a lieutenant in ETA’s infamous Madrid cell.

In 1986, she played a key role in the bombing of the city’s Plaza Republica Dominicana which killed 12 Civil Guards and in another car bomb attack in Madrid in 1992 that left five soldiers dead.

After fleeing to Algeria for several years, she joined the notorious ‘Ekaitz’ commando which carried out bombings in Alicante, Murcia and Valencia.

By then, she had achieved a near mythical reputation for ruthlessness both in ETA’s ranks and among the Spanish police pursuing her.

And, just as Villanelle lusts after her MI6 pursuer Eve Polastri, so the Tigress developed a sexual obsession with the Civil Guards.

She would cruise bars and discotheques to pick up cops for one-night-stands and then, after picking up info through pillow talk, calmly fire bullets into others the next day.

When officers finally tracked Idoia down to a flat in the south of France in 1994, she was arrested with a Browning 9mm handgun with the serial numbers erased and false identity papers.

Finally extradited and brought to trial, she was given a 2,000 year prison term in 2001 – later reduced to 23 years, one

for each of her confirmed victims.

Even in prison, she caused heartache and problems when she firstly married Juan Ramón Rojo, a fellow ETA terrorist, in May 2004, before later divorcing and marrying another terrorist Joseba Arizmendi. It is not known if they are still together.

The image of his daughter as an evil, bed-hopping murderer remains understandably painful for her father Melchor Riano, 86.

Sipping a glass of Patxaran, a typical Basque drink, in the village square of Villar de Ciervo, he cuts a lonely figure.

With sad eyes, he insisted: “I just want to leave the past behind, let bygones be bygones. I just can’t bring myself to talk about it. I’m sure you can understand.”

Just 10 miles away in the smaller village of Alameda de Gardon, there is considerably more sadness. For it was here that one of her victims, military captain Juan Antonio Nunez, lived with his wife and young family.

The soldier was blown up by a car bomb in Plaza de la Cruz Verde, in Madrid, in 1992, along with four others.

While his widow and her children have now moved to Madrid, a former neighbour remembers the outrage well.

“We were all devastated. He was a lovely man and his widow never got over it. It was such a tragedy,” he said.

A few more miles away in Monasterio,

in the Badajoz province, where Mari’s mother comes from, I meet Juan Luis Lopez Lancharro, 56, who is also finding it hard to heal the scars of the past.

The painter and decorator insists its ‘extremely hard’ to forgive her for the role she played in the murder of his then 21-year-old brother Antonio Lancharro, one of those killed in the 1986 massacre.

“To let her out after just 23 years was shocking. In America or in England they would stay in prison for life for that - and deserve to stay in for life. Here getting out after 23 years it’s embarrassing,’ he tells the Olive Press.

Pointing to his brother’s framed medals which have pride of place on the wall of the family home, he adds: “For my mother to have to see her son buried and die at such a young age destroyed her. She never got over it.

“And to think that, as a child, ‘La Tigresa’ was so close by and even probably walked these streets is chilling. I hope she never gets a good night’s sleep again.

“I don’t believe in the death sentence but I do believe in perpetual life sentences which means that you spend the rest of your life in prison.

“Of course that’s not going to bring Antonio back and that’s why we remind us ourselves of him every day. We will never forget the tragedy of losing him.”

12

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Gangland grit Be whisked away on the Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry

M

aurice Hearne and Charlie Redmond are a pair of aging Irish gangsters who have worked together for years smuggling drugs, amongst other things, and leading lives of crime. Maurice has received word that his estranged daughter Dilly whom he has not seen for three years will be on a boat either leaving to or coming from Tangier, so the duo spends the night hanging around the ferry terminal at Algeciras port hoping to find her. As the hours go by their stories unfold. Decades of criminal exploits, violence, addiction, love, loss, and betrayal. An engaging, entertaining, and darkly comic novel superbly told. €11.90 The Bookshop San Pedro, www.thebookshop.es

LA CULTURA

Music to our T HE Spanish summer you had hoped for is more than likely not going ahead as planned.

Especially if you are a music fan, artist or promoter.

Amid the pandemic, the bastions of Spain’s festival season have been scratched from the summer calendar, including Primavera Sound, Sonar, Bilbao BBK Live, Benicassim and Madrid’s Mad Cool.

Alongside the big players, thousands of smaller gigs and other events have also been affected, while some regions like Andalucia have called for a ban on all festivals and ferias until September.

“The estimated losses of live music from March to September are €662 million and more than €115 million from music recorded in 2020,” said President of the Spanish Music Federation, ESmusica, Joaquin Martinez.

“But if we talk about the impact on the Spanish economy, the figures are much higher and they reach €7.66 billion this year.”

Before the pandemic Spain was holding almost 1,000 festivals a year and the music industry supported around 300,000 jobs.

Yet, despite the current backdrop of economic uncertainty, some festival organisers are not content with streaming performanc-

es online or postponing until 2021.

There are still a few plucky event organisers sitting tight in the hope that they can go ahead with events this summer.

According to Spain’s four-phase plan, openair festivals can operate with audiences of 400 people in Phase 2 and 800 people in Phase 3.

Revellers must be seated however, and ensure social distancing guidelines are adhered to, meaning sweaty mosh pits are a complete no-no.

The following five festivals are still considering running the gauntlet in Andalucia this summer:

Granada International Festival of Music and Dance, June 25 - July 26

69 Festival de Granada / pág. 1

The 69th edition of the festival will be held ‘against all odds’, according to organisers.

Photography, ballet and music from some of the world’s best classical solo artists and orchestras are set to light up Granada in a few weeks time.

The festival programme includes an ‘extraordinary charity concert in memoriam of the victims of the COCID-19 pandemic’ planned for June 25. Ticket prices vary.

Starlite Marbella, July 10 - August 28 Il Divo, Nile Rodgers, Bonnie Tyler and Ozuna are among the artists still set to play this legendary Marbella festival.

Organisers have said they are working with ‘energy and enthusiasm’ to ensure one of the Costa del Sol’s biggest festivals can still go ahead. Ticket prices vary.

...AND WE’RE BACK! Vejer de la Frontera

Opens Friday 5th June Lunch every day Dinner Friday & Saturday

Opens Friday 5th June Friday Saturday & Sunday lunch & dinner 12h to sunset Wednesday closed

Opens Friday 5th June Friday & Saturday 12-23h Sunday 12-17h Mon to Thur closed

Opens Friday 5th June Open every day 12-20h

Hotel opens Friday 5th June

Opens Friday 26th June

Opens Friday 19th June 12-20h every day

Hotel opens Friday 19th June

For reservations and more information about our COVID-19 measures see our website califavejer.com

ears

13

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Hundreds of summer music festivals have fallen victim to COVID-19, but these five events prove that the show must go on, writes Charlie Smith

Canela Party in Torremolinos, August 5 - 8 London punk four-piece, Ghum are set to be joined by fellow rockers Idles, from Bristol, as Canela Party at Torremolinos Bullring is yet to be cancelled.

There is no word from organisers yet, but this Costa del Sol indie fest should also see a mixture of Spanish and foreign talent descend on the coast, including US veterans Deerhoof.

Tickets start at €34.

Caviar Urban Music Fuengirola, July 29 Headlined by Latin pop superstar Bad Bunny with support from Omar Montes, this oneday event is still set to go ahead.

The reggaeton fusion festival is to be held at Fuengirola’s Marenostrum Castle Park overlooking the Mediterranean. Tickets start at €34.

NEW

Oh, See! Malaga, September 11 - 12 Barcelona electro-indie group Dorian and Norwegian band Kakkmaddafakka, known for their crazy on-stage antics are among the highlights.

The festival at Malaga’s Municipal Auditorium Cortijo de Torres, has not yet been called off.

Its September date means it has not been ordered by the Junta de Andalucia to be cancelled, as have events set for June, July and August. Tickets start at €20.

FREE QUOTE info@sghaulage.com www.sghaulageltd.co.uk

+44 1522 702 443

LETTERS COVID COFFERS

14

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Shocking but not surprising

FREE

expat

My best mate’s gone!

Inside Spain’s TV hit, White Lines Page 3

Spaniards block roads in protest Page 6

bars and restaurants are full

of places to sit, but one chilled

Dad pays heartfelt tribute to his tragic daughter Danielle, who ‘lived to sing, laugh and party’ A BRITISH bar worker has been found dead ‘in her wardrobe’.

Danielle Finlay Brookes was found at her flat in Magaluf by police.

The bartender from Crewe, 23, lived near the famous Punta Ballena strip,

ETA terrorist behind Killing Eve Page 9

where she worked at the The Three Lions karaoke bar.

Expat friends told the Olive Press she was always ‘cheerful’ and ‘full of life’.

One, Meghan Tattersall, said: “You

UK BASED

TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents

OLIVE PRESS

RIP: Brit Danielle found dead

By Isha Sesay

are my best friend and my angel high in the sky. I’m truly heartbroken.

Those that would like to donate to help repatriate her body can do so by visiting: https://www.gofundm com/f/for-danielle-brookee . sfamily

What made Fabian tearful?

The Rock’s ONLY free local paper

Find out on Page 8

May 27th - Jun 9th, 2020 Vol. 5, Issue 123 www.theolivepress.es

Meet Gibraltar’s new Page 5 Governor

Spaniards block roads Page 6 in protest

Catalan Bay in continued coronavirus

The Costa del Sol’s Nazi shame Page 10

blocks access to the beach at

fending the Rock’s right to self-deany termination is not eroded in Brexit process. the The Chief Minister said that not mentioning of bilateralism ‘will be a persuasive tool in the discussions to come.’ the The first round of talks between in UK, Gibraltar and Spain took part Algeciras with COVID-19 delaying the next meetings on the Rock. is Analysts fear that now the process starting up again it is possible that Spain will use the Gibraltar smokeits over criticism deflect to screen handling of COVID-19.

Making undemocratic claims to dis-a credit Gibraltar as anything but strategy Spanish a been has colony since Franco made his territorial claim of the Rock at the UN. This tendency was especially prevbe could but times PP alent during continued by the leftist government to recapture right-wing sentiment fanned by far right party Vox.

GIBRALTAR has slammed Spain

By Diexter Thomas and John fuCulatto for excluding it from talks on its ture relationship with the EU. of It comes after Spain’s Minister braltar to one side.

Foreign affairs Arancha Gonza- Understandably, politicians in Githey may not be lez Laya spoke in a radio interview in braltar are furious about ‘agreeing a new status allowed to have a say over its own light of Brexit for Gibraltar between future.

Spain and the The UK has repeatedly promised to United King- include Gibraltar in its own delegadom’. tion.

G o n z a l e z “It is certainly unacceptable to sugseemed to be gest that any such ‘negotiation’ biat hinting be ‘between Spain and the talks could Kingdom’,” said Chief Minlateral United between Spain ister Picardo. and the UK, He said he is being very ‘proactive’ Gipushing over the Brexit negotiations with UK BASED Spain to ‘secure the prosperity of Gibraltar and the whole region around us’.

Opposition MP Keith Azopardi said that Gibraltar must be careful to make sure that decades of de-

Brexit tensions flare as Spanish minister’s ‘sovereignty’ comments riles Picardo

TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834 Costa Blanca Issue 31 www.globelink.co.uk

* O f f e r

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd

c u s t o m e r s

o n l y .

S u b j e c t

t o

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

E n d s

c o n d i t i o n s .

21/6/19 13:30

1

OLIVE PRESS

COSTA BLANCA

Vol. 2 Issue 31 www.theolivepress.es

Your

A pot of bother

expat

voice in Spain

PHONE TRAGEDY! May 28th - Jun 10th 2020

Spain erupts in protest.

Full story on Page 6/7

OLIVE PRESS

The

The

n e w

f o r

v a l i d

See page 16

TM

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

FREE

restrictions

Our choice

WHEELY FAIR: A police motorbike

ETA terrorist behind Page 9 Killing Eve

tel: 966 46 38 45

WWW.JAVEABLINDS.COM

FREE

Vol. 1 Issue

COSTA

BLANCA

Your

expat

voice in Spain

VANISH 17 www.theolivepress.es

November

Right

turn

7th - November

20th, 2019

ED!

A DANGEROUS could see Spain’slurch to Vox party the right becominganti-immigrant ers in tion. this weekend’s the kingmakgeneral The massive electhe recent surge of Islam Catalan - off the back of ing 15% - could seecrisis and a fear of the seats the party The expected EXCLUSIVE seizin

By Joshua damage gains Parliament. centre-right will seriously Parfitt which could lose POLICE Ciudadanos, while the over have beenon the Podemos ruling PSOE half its seats, Costa slammed allowed and Blanca are also fer. a confused expectedleft wing after they tated Vox, which to sufand disoriento walkBritish great-grandfather has pledged Spain into the out of a ed to from immigrants, to ‘defend’ police dead of The family is predictstation fourth finish third in night alone.

Pearce, of pensioner years. general electionthe country’s in as many The latest swers 68, are demanding Philip polling

by Santiago why hefrom Benidorm suggests anits 24 seats Abascal, ber 10, was released police over Vox, led at 3am. on Septemin Spain’s will increase liament They now to 46.

350-seat has been fear for his par-

Duty of police care claims station at 3amafter missing in clearly British great-grandfather disoriented state was

Meanwhile

We expose fugitive gun nut Brit Page 2

allowed

to leave

life missing two months. for an after he alarming And in British a shocking

Failed

dadanos Albert Consulate,email from Rivera’s will be Olive Press 14. In reduced seen by the Ciuthe 40dB suggestions this week, from gain 14% the of the poll Vox is 57 to of care. of a breachthere are PP in second vote, alongside set to The official of duty 91 seats place with the and the pensioner with 27.3% email PSOE 21.2% and coming had clearlyreveals and 121 The he ‘did the first votes. not remember told police would PSOE’s predicted was staying’ DISAPPEARED: see the seats than where from in (above party victory nor Philip right) England. where he he prompting in April’s with two less The consulate the last Pearce enjoying was last election, another leader picture Philip email headache a drink of the form a Pedro Sanchez passportwas carrying also stated He was pensioner (above), government. as he for its having neither tries to in Alicantewhile he was nor his a good his until he left wallet taken Airport Benidorm’s his Playa holiday when hotel at 5.30pm by Opinion spent Policia a stranger to tion in Levante page 6 ‘four to Nacional to his buy cigaretteson September the Old day midnight, five’

Press they ‘do individual not comment A Policia cases’ such on Nacional as Philip’s. claimed scrambled‘helicopters’ spokesman had been to search various Benidorm for Philip However, hillsides. on questions they failed bearings staTown hours before 9 ings scouring abandoned as CCTV about just police. every of his firms. he lost and was and traveller the to answer release footage after around taken build- whether However, from exact details conto “I even the Costa communities and why what is not searches sniffer dogsthe station or Blanca. clear he was GoPro sent my dog and ground had the station would Wallet camera allowed is how Two out with be soon.been deployed bush and months to search “The policethree hours to leave a or ive Press on, Lee in every in we’ve Have swering are simplylater. told the a request corner,every in you found search Ol- ing,” McQueen Pearce, our questions,” not annothand sniffer for ‘a ground but touch seen Philip? unanswered, 41, told at newsdesk@ Get theolivepress.es “I’ve last night. dogs’ the Oliveson Lee left while the has gone driversgot 130 said.

“It’s absolutely Press “We searching taxi family just need for answers. are at 4am who start for us gut-wrenching er my at 2am, and finish where as a family, dad is closure on Lee said. but not knowing still alive wheth- the peared.he is and why hotels none of “But apart or not,” tablishments he disapand es“I just want him sent out from claiming seen miss him home so the police some drones to have ip.” a sign of have so much.”

Philip badly.

Philwas known to look, The I anything don’t seem from the to be doing to It comes at all.” spent family has tia, but early signs be suffering as scores idents ting up weeks putwhen was ‘happy of demening forhave spent of British res- handing posters and smiling’ friend he left for Alicante weeks and signs and travelling ther-of-three. out of the search- of his with grandfa- aroundmissing flyers partner. a Owner father David of Alicante Benidorm with contact McQueen, Transfers, A spokeswoman Find out details. said he has the British for eating what’s Tel. (+34) Consulate told 96 649 18 info@hispaniahomes.es 29 the Olive Paul Hollywood www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

Spain to the goes polls

See pages

You total doughnut!

7 & 13

VENDORS

GUIDE

HOW TO SELL YOUR QUICKER

on Page

PROPERTY AND BETTER

SALES

Certified Residential The Proven

1883

Specialist

Path to Success

get the most success in your task

www.moraira-hamiltons.net

Avda. Madrid,

24, 03724

Moraira

Want to sell your property?

Ask here VENDORS for our GUIDE and

& RENTALS

SPECIALISTS Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea

96 649

for Spanish residents

www.globelink.co.uk

- Alicante

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

Inside Spain’s TV hit, White Lines Page 3

The million fines that shame Spain Page 6

ETA terrorist behind Killing Eve Page 9

3

UK BASED

TRAVEL INSURANCE

PARTNERING FOR OVER OWNERS 20 YEARS

Specialists in Luxury Holiday Villas Rentals and

Sales Javea La Sella - Denia Golf Area tel: 966 mob: 647 424 505 575

152 www.vacationvillasspain.com

UK’s Foreign Office call centre thought British dementia sufferer in late 60s was ‘drunk’ in the crucial hours before his death SPEECHLESS: Lee (inset) can’t understand why dad Philip (right with a pal) was allowed to go EXCLUSIVE arettes’. grees

By Joshua Parfitt He had been taken to the station and followed by torrential rainfall a 68-year-old man with clear signs flooding. around THE British Foreign Office (FCO) year, by 10pm on September 9, last As the Olive Press revealed in a of dementia was let go in the worst a concerned British tourist front page storm for 100 years. thought a British holidaymaker who spotted story Philip in a ‘disoriented ip was believed in November, Phil- “You wouldn’t let your own dog out suffering dementia on the Costa state’. to suffer a sudden onset of vascular dementia, per- in that weather.

Blanca was ‘drunk’ and just needed Police asked “I believe a consular contact cen- haps brought to ‘sober up’, the Olive Press on by the weather, realised that had the authorities can tre assistant what to do with Phil- and was my dad was not drunk, but reveal. not well. ip, who A Freedom of Information request whetherdid not speak Spanish, and Yet, incredibly, Benidorm Police let had got dementia, he would still be concerning the death of British where histhe FCO could figure out Philip leave the station at 3am on with us.”

A spokesperson for the FCO mainhotel was.

September grandfather Philip Pearce, 68, But an internal FCO report reveals Lee Pearce, 10, leading to his son tained that Philip was the ‘responshows the FCO’s emergency contact 41, to insist the Spanish Philip, from Bridgwater, in Somer- police had ‘failed’ in their duty to sibility’ of the Spanish authorities. centre believed he was ‘not vulner- set, told the “We FCO class officer a British he national as vulprotect him.. able’ just hours before his death in ‘couldn’t remember where he was “But I think nerable a ditch in Benidorm. in that phone call the selves if they cannot protect themstaying’. from significant physical or FCO had the Documents seen by the Olive Press Furthermore, he couldn’t even re- alive,” Lee toldpower to keep Dad emotional harm, or be protected by show Spanish cops telephoned the Olive Press this others,” member he said. “Our Global Reweek.

Malaga-based call centre asking a Making ‘where he lived in the UK’. matters worse, it was during An internal for sponse Centre provides emergency assistance with Philip, who had lost email seen by the Olive the horrific ‘gota fria’ storms, which Press shows clearly that he was not support to British nationals globally his bearings after going out for ‘cig- saw temperature when embassies and consulates highs of 28 de- well, with a consular are official confirming in the following days that closed. he ‘kept saying he was in England’ “Mr Pearce was with the Spanish and had ‘no clue’ he was in Spain’ authorities, who were best placed to provide assistance, and we were during that fateful phone call. not made aware by them that Mr Pearce Despite these signs of senility, spokesperson for the FCO told a may be vulnerable.” the An FCO spokesperson Olive Press they were ‘not made said staff aware that Mr Pearce was vulner- have access to ‘detailed guidance and training on a wide range of able’. isAn internal report on Philip, a for- sues, including mental health and mer joiner, just says ‘Police will mental capacity’. Despite this, there hold onto [Philip] until he sobers are zero guidelines for dementia patients abroad on the FCO’s website. up’.

Philip’s later disappearance made It comes as Philip’s body will be headlines in the UK and Spain, buried in Bridgwater today (May until he was identified in Febru- 28), with just a maximum of 10 ary from a ‘severely decomposed’ people due to the coronavirus pandemic. corpse found just 2km from the po- A report from the UK’s lice station.

Alzheimer’s SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS The corpse carried the same Society this year also revealed amount of money as when Phil- emergency dementia admissions to Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea UK hospitals are up 35% in the ip was registered in the station, last a five years. death certificate revealed.

Philip’s son, Lee, told the Olive www.moraira-hamiltons.net Press: “It leaves me speechless how Opinion Page 6

96 649 1883

OLIVE PRESS ANDALUCÍA

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 344 www.theolivepress.es May 27th - June 9th 2020

Spaniards boiled over with banging pots and pans, andanger, roads across Spain in protestblocking at Government’s COVID-19 response at the weekend

NOT FINE

Full story on Page 6/7

Inside Spain’s TV hit, White Lines Page 3

EXCLUSIVE

By Giles Brown

Female expats slam police for sanctions, as it emerges Spainridiculous issued over ONE million fines has for breaking the lockdown

the ridiculou zens and ex-patriots by police during the coronavirus crisis (Not fine, pg 1, Issue 344).

This is not the first time the Olive Press has about the dubious berun a front page story lly, as a Ipolitical EU, essentia thepeople sees Moore of Rosehaviour wonder in uniform. these 325, pg 7). The and proud, Issue nt dictatorship (Leave who authority compete any is there whether states, are 28 sovereign reality is the opposite. There ordird safegua to police, the of control in is the UK, which voluntarily chose to become including s, and zeal and from their naryd.people the UK would that excesse believes Steve Dunne associate exceedin ves themsel not tog are going they not I’m ensure to so. fair better on WTO terms. Not police andinopinion chapter myby . It is quotingthat page your letters downauthority weightheir ble into the compati looks is not Steve nd that tion n and overreac but I recomme verse,timidatio Trumpto That itself knows. claims industrycythat thatheSpain any democra specifics withofthe should UKabsolute an EU-free deal with a trade getthat have an is trying people ordinary be,toand deals trade Trump’s know: to want you all day-totell you legal their about go to right to be able for speaks Mahler Brent Finally, labels.

US-first have day can only be called life without fear of what forceby armed of an EU wary citizens of UK a number ‘policing that consider not do I ion. oppress are ideas union. However, these and an ever closer and that any consent’ is a thing in this country not EU policy. I am floated by specific people and only deserve of proyearscan 40-plus insidiousthey at the believe worried police morerespect school by ded comman that with d h, compare be Telegrap Mail, the by EEC/EU the paganda against people the Spanish did Whatreally Is this bullies.

The Sun. of course, and,what Times Express, tic kingdom why he?was so antheir democra in when he was asked wantsay Murdoch

Get educa-

in Maga

eryone who drank in her bar. Thank you. Absolutely heartbroken. She will always be my baby girl.”.

A GoFundMe fundraiser to repatriate the young Brit’s body has raised almost €7,000, but a friend told the Olive Press the family are ‘still long way from bringing her home’.a Police had been called to her block of flats after friends said they had not heard from her ‘for hours’.

They said they had become worried when they noticed a change in her behaviour in the last few weeks and had called the emergency services after not hearing from her for several days.

Her landlord gave police a spare key to her apartment, where they found her body inside a closet.

Her father added he had to stay strong for her three siblings and Danielle’s mother who were described as ‘heartbroken.’

GIBRALTAR

The FREE

I was appalled, although not

LEAVERS: surprised, to read of entirely Trio of Brits in Spains fining of citi-

A PAIR of female expats have pealed to their town halls over aptimidation and overreaction intheir local police forces during by the COVID-19 lockdown.

The British duo are demanding tion over extortionate fines, as wellac‘rough treatment’, they received as for breaking the coronavirus lockdown.

Natalie Rose Kern, 37, from London, is furious she was fined €1,000 ‘walking too slowly’ back from for her local bank in Estepona.

The mother-of-one told the Olive Press she had also been shouted at and questioned why she did not have a car.

"They said they were fining €1,000 – despite having a bank me ceipt to show them," she insisted. re“But the fine was nothing compared to the intimidation. They took my handbag and went through it, questioning me about its contents.

“They were really shouting at me frightened and humiliated me." and

ETA terrorist behind Killing Eve Page 9

In particular, the officers wanted know why the freelance writer to between us, but the police said that not driven to the bank, failing to had I was walking with someone and debe- nounced me. It was completely lieve that she did not drive. untrue and unfair.”

"They told me that I was paseando – To make matters worse, the walking too slowly. 'This is NOT how officers then followed the shaken expat you walk to the bank,’ they told to ‘You are showing no urgency’." me, her house where they took her details and issued the fine.

In another alarming incident, an Ol- At no time, she says, were ive Press reader was stopped after the police chatting to a friend, while walking wearing masks or gloves.

Another expat, who preferred her dog, in the countryside near her main anonymous, also had to rehome. an enIstan resident Corran Fraser, 36, was counter with the same Istan force when he borrowed a friend's car. then marched back to her apartment He said: "I had just got home and given a €650 fine by officers not patrol car roared around the when a wearing masks. cor“I was walking my dog and chatting ner. They hadn't recognised to a woman that I had bumped into. the car that I was driving and thought that it was someone I live alone and if I see someone nice to interact,” she explained. it's breaking the restrictions.

“Even though I know the “I think there was a five-metre gap officers they informed me that I ‘wasn't allowed to drive THE SKY a car that wasn't mine’ and that I DOCTOR wouldn't be allowed ALL AREAS COVERED to leave my house in it.

“They also wanted to 4G UNLIMITED know exactly how I INTERNET had picked up the car, ANGRY: Kern and (inset) IDEAL FOR checking if I had broken Fraser both fined in lockdown STREAMING TV any social distancing rules.”

ALSO IPTV, pathised with Corran, and while exNatalie and Corran have SATELLITE TV plaining he had no influence admitsince received replies ted: “The powers given to the police from their local mayors tel: (0034) 952 763 840 are affecting each person differently.” advising them to appeal. info@theskydoctor.com A Facebook group, ‘Covid 19 InjusIstan mayor, Diego www.theskydoctor.com tice Costa del Sol’, has since been set Marin Ayllon, symup, with many women sharing similar stories.

Spanish police have issued a staggering ONE million plus fines during the lockdown, over 100 times the UK and three times almost every other EuroSee page 9 & 13 pean country.

+

Gibraltar Issue 123 96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

ideas

FREE

The Costa del Sol’s Nazi shame Page 10

“I’m so proud to be able to spend everyday with you. Fly high my princess. RIP to my girl I’m so proud of.

I love you.”

Another mate, Rob Dury described her as a ‘beautiful young woman taken too soon’ and added: “No words can describe how much all your friends and family will miss that smile.

Her father Michael meanwhile, wrote a heartfelt tribute which her friends have passed on to the Olive Press.

In the emotional passage, he describes Danielle as his ‘best mate’ and they had shared an amazing relationship since she was a young child.

He said she had ‘lived to sing, laugh and party’ and that they would go out together ‘at a drop of a hat’, singing their hearts out until the early hours of the morning.

He added: “She loved Maga and ev-

www.globelink.co.uk

out Palma resident has other

Pic: Allan Binderup

We expose fugitive gun nut Brit Page 2

SUNNING IT: Mallorca’s now-open

A pot of bother

Dear Olive Press,

Your voice in Spain

Vol. 4 Issue 81 www.theolivepress.es May 29th - Jun 11th, 2020

Pic: Allan Binderup

The

MALLORCA

The

OLIVE PRESS

Readers give their two cents after our front page story on expats’ ridiculous fines (Issue Not fine, pg 1, Issue 344)

X

Mallorca Issue 81

TURBULENCE ON THE STOCK MARKET BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES

TALK TO US TODAY

BinckBank.com/opportunity

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834 * O f f e r

v a l i d

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd

f o r

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

+

TM

o n l y .

S u b j e c t

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

That’s a fine mess, Page 6 Opinion Page 6

E n d s

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

1

21/6/19 13:30

ti-EU? Something along the lines of: “When I go into lett, The the EU.” Cam go toian No. 10 they do what I say: when IAdr ent! rola Fuengi implication is that he had to ask for an appointm

O.T.T. It does seem a little extreme. The Police account of these incidents would be interesting.

Pauline Laverick, Torrevieja

The grass is always greener This makes one realise how easygoing the whole lockdown has been in the U.K. Can you imagine the reaction to Spanish-style enforcement in the U.K? Malcolm Wells, Palma de Mallorca

Necessary evil

Rent rout From next year Brits with property in Spain which they let will be required to pay 24% tax on the gross income.

EU nationals can deduct expenses, IBI, cleaning, laundry, electricity, water, community fees, agents’ fees, etc. Paying on gross income will mean paying 24% tax on all the expenses. That will mean a very small income. In an example I sent to a lawyer, the income this year would be €2,000, while next year on the same gross rental they would be left with €80. The lawyer agreed.

When potential UK, non-EU resident buyers realise that, I assume many will decide they cannot afford to buy a second home. I would think the knock-on effect on property prices will be significant.

John Carrington, Malaga

Do as I say, not as I do

The fines have gone a long way to helping, the numbers speak for themselves. We needed those fines in order for lockdown to work, not nice, but necessary. But look at England, sadly people take no notice of the police as they do here. I’d rather have the laws here Erika Stanbury, San Roque

I saw a recent story about someone getting fined €600 for stopping at a five metre distance to speak to a friend (That’s a fine mess, pg 6, Issue 344).

But this policeman was ok to speak to his friend, without a mask on May 31.

The guy was about 3 0 c m away and was literally leaning into the car!

Cash cows

Citizens in Spain are little more than objects to be squeezed for money. In Spain ‘multas’ are mostly about revenue rather than about public safety, though safety is part of it. In Asturias we encounter aggressive police policies every year just before tourist season begins. The Guardia Civil give traffic multas for things like driving with your elbow outside the window, having your hand to your mouth while driving, random stops fishing for a technical infraction. An acquaintance, who is a ‘boss’ in the Guardia Civil, says the Director General was ordered to do this, but is opposed because it obviously generates hatred for the Guardia. And to make certain of compliance, officers are given a monthly bonus based on the amount of money they generate with the multas. At least this is true with traffico fines in Asturias.

Chas Brown, Asturias

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

Neil Tufnail, Torremolinos

OP QUICK Crossword 1

2

3

4

5

7

10

11

15

6

8

9

12

13

16

17

14

18

19

20 21

23

OP Sudoku Sudoku OP

Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

22

24

Across 7 Romance language (7) 8 Continuous dull pain (4) 9 Ooze (4) 10 Wrist band (8) 11 Corridor (7) 14 Cinder (5) 15 Expel (5) 17 Exacted retribution (7) 21 Rousing (8) 22 Silent (4) 23 Retained (4) 24 Imitate (7) Down 1 Picture theatre (6) 2 Door fastener (4) 3 Knapsack (6) 4 Relative by marriage (2-3) 5 Rep (8) 6 Steal (6) 12 Safety (8) 13 Period of history (3) 16 Protruded (6) 18 Vitalityl (6) 19 Respect (6) 20 Duck with soft down (5) 22 Fosse (4)

All solutions are on page 18

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Bulli for Ferran

STRANDED: OP’s Dimi

Hacked off AN Olive Press reporter has been refused boarding on a British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Gibraltar.

Dimitris Kouimtsidis, 23, from Ealing, was told by airline staff that he ‘would not be able to fly’ as he didn’t have Spanish residencia or a Gibraltar resident card.

It comes after the University of Lincoln Journalism Masters graduate, flew back to the Capital before lockdown to visit his family.

Dimitris, who rents a flat in Estepona, has a work contract and even a letter of support from the British Consul, tried to fly back to the Rock on May 27 12:30pm.

“I’ve got all my stuff in Spain and just want to get on with my job,” he said this week.

BA has refused to refund the €237 ticket and has instead offered a voucher for future travel.

15

June 10th - June 23rd 2020 PENSIVE: Top chef Ferran Adria

Easy does it

Spain’s most famous restaurateur speaks out on ‘tragedy’ of hospitality industry left reeling amid pandemic SPANISH chef Ferran Adria – the man behind the world-famous El Bulli restaurant – has spoken of the challenges the hospi-

tality industry faces post COVID-19.

While restaurants around Spain are starting to open their doors as the country

Hold your horses TRAVEL between Andalucia and the rest of Spain is not to be allowed for two weeks, while beach-goers have been warned over large crowds.

Junta President Juanma Moreno said that his Government would not back inter-regional journeys for at least the next fortnight.

He also cautioned against a ‘rush to the coast’ as inter-province travel in Andalucia – the country’s most populous autonomous community – has

WARNING: Moreno now been permitted.

It comes as Andalucia passed into Phase 3 of Spain’s COVID-19 lockdown de-escalation plan on Monday, along with 52% of the population.

comes out of lockdown, Adria has been working hard towards the relaunch of El Bulli nine years after he closed it down.

It was once renowned for the exceptional quality of its cuisine, with it being named best restaurant in the world in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

But at the height of its fame Adria closed it down to concentrate instead on the El Bulli Foundation dedicated to creation and innovation in gastronomic science.

Now El Bulli will reopen in August, as a ‘creativity laboratory to foster inventions in both gastronomy and other areas,’ rather than as a restaurant.

Creativity is the key to the future of the restaurant trade, said Adria, as the coronavirus lockdown has caused ‘a lot of grief’ for the sector.

He added that it was going to be difficult for the hospitality industry to recover as it has changed many people's relationship with their own kitchens at home.

Speaking to AFP he said: “It's a brutal situation, a real tragedy.

EASYJET has revealed which Spanish airports serving British holiday hotspots will be back up and running in July and August.

Last week the airline announced that it would resume 50% of its 1,022 routes in July and 75% in August.

However it was unclear which of Spain’s airports would be included as services were ramped up.

Social impact

“It's not like you just open and that's the end of it.

When you're in hospitality, either you're 70% full or you're not running a viable business, except in some cases.”

He said: “By now, many people have entered the kitchen (at home). And that is going to have a social impact, even more so with remote working.”

This could have a knockon effect with more people staying home rather than venturing out to eat, even as the lockdown ends.

The budget airline has confirmed to the Olive Press that the following airports would be taking passengers in and out of Spain in July and August: Malaga Bilbao Alicante Madrid Ibiza Gran Canaria Mallorca Murcia Barcelona Santiago Lanzarote Almeria Fuer teventura Seville Menorca Valencia Tenerife Reus

Boarding Card

five-star safety T

HE revered Kempinski Hotel Bahia has promised guests and visitors the luxury and beautiful moments they expect from the five-star Costa del Sol institution when it reopens this month.

A special hygiene and safety protocol, the ‘White Gloves Service’, has been introduced by the management at the famous hotel, which sits on the beachfront between vibrant Marbella and charming Spanish fishing town of Estepona, as they vow not to let the COVD-19 global pandemic dilute its commitment to five star and quality service.

This new protocol was introduced after the 123-year-old hotel group appointed external auditor ANP to ensure they were doing everything they could to implement the most stringent health and safety measures, but without compromising the ex-

perience of guests.

Axel Bethke, General Manager of the Hotel, said: “These new measures are crucial for us to continue delivering service at the highest level. ANP will be working with us every step of the way as the situation evolves here in Spain and we will adapt the protocol as the situation changes. We hope it will reassure our clients, so they feel safe and confident staying with us.”

The new measures include: ●● A full staff training programme on implementing the ‘White Gloves Service’. ●● Installation of professional air purifiers ●● The introduction of hospital grade cleaning equipment ●● Sanitising stations throughout the hotel ●● Staff wearing masks at all times

●● A new ‘Welcome Pack’ for guests, including mini disinfectant and mask ●● Digitalising certain procedures to avoid crowds in public areas The hotel has also introduced a ‘Privacy’ sign that allows guests to decide if they wish hotel team members to enter their room for cleaning and room service. Housekeeping will be upon the guest’s personal request and other services will take place from the front door of a guest’s room.

The hotel, which has more than 5,000 sqm of tropical gardens, is also applying special social distancing measures in its gardens, beach and pool areas, with individualized hammocks and Balinese beds.

The hotel’s breakfast service will now be A La Carte and there will be live cooking stations and healthy food stations that will all serve each guest individually, rather than guests helping themselves. There will be social distancing set up for guests in all the bars and restaurants.

For more details and reservations - Call +34 95 280 9500 - Email reservations.estepona@ kempinski.com or visit Kempinski Hotel Bahía, Carretera De Cádiz Km 159, 29680, Estepona Spain

OPEN: Lots of social distancing on the Kempinski’s sunloungers

WIN WIN WIN

The Olive Press has teamed up with Press readers a special opportunity to the Kempinski to offer Olive dine and stay at this exclusive hotel.

The prize is a three-course meal for two Club (soft drinks included) and a one- at the hotel’s Spiler Beach night stay in a Grand Mediterranean Roo All you have to do is go to our Facebookm.

OlivePressNewspaper - and like this articpage - www.facebook.com/ le and we will pop you in a draw to win. Good luck!

16

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Far from the madding crowds

H

op in your car, drive a few hours and you will arrive in the enchanted land of the alchemist right in the heart of Andalucia at magical Suryalila Retreat Centre. Suryalila is a warm and welcoming home away from home, far from the madding crowds, surrounded by fields of sunflowers and sweeping vistas of mountains and lakes.

To help you ease gracefully and pleasurably out of lockdown, Suryalila is opening its doors to local tourism with an excellent selection of last minute five day alternative and healthy rural holiday packages with accommodation choices to suit all budgets. If you in are in need of a break and would like to avoid crowded areas, beach restrictions and boost your immune system at the same time, look no further! Throughout the summer and autumn months Suryalila is offering hiking, nature, horse riding and adventure holidays as well as a couple of more gentle healing yoga retreats and on another note, wine tasting and yoga holidays.

The varied excursions happen in the cooler mountain mornings, to avoid the heat of the summer. Afternoons can be spent lazing by the pool, indulging in a luxurious massage or partaking in a relaxing yoga class.

Located in a sprawling beautifully restored olive farm that is tastefully decorated with an exotic eastern flare, Suryalila exudes a special magic from the moment you drive down the impressive flag lined driveway. Suryalila has been voted one of the Best Retreat Centre’s in the World by Yoga Journal, but even if you have no desire to attend one of Suryalila’s dai-

ly world-class Yoga classes, there is plenty to enjoy here.

The Centre is renowned for its outstanding international chefs, providing you with three wonderful organic vegetarian feasts every day. There is a delightful salt water pool and various types of massage offered. In-house Amrita Cafe serves coffee, wine, beer, and fresh juices and smoothies.

There are plenty of enchanting hang-out spaces to curl up in with a good book borrowed from their library, as well as an impressive meditation garden with breath-taking views. If you like to shop, the centre’s Shakti boutique carries yoga clothes and a good selection of exotic gifts. The cortijo also hosts a fascinating permaculture project and is building a food forest on it’s land. The grounds themselves are spell-binding with a unique blending of fruit trees, succulents, alpacas and donkeys.

Make sure you ask for a fascinating tour of the grounds.

Whether you are traveling alone, with a friend or partner or with your family, it’s an equally welcoming and charming environment. You have the choice of joining one of Suryalila’s special summer holidays or retreats or to book as an independent hotel guest and simply enjoy the tranquil surroundings and delightful facilities. There are lots of optional dates throughout the summer for national tourism.

The main language spoken at Suryalila is English but they can also cater for Spanish and German tourists, offering Yoga classes in all three languages.

For more information and to book your getaway, visit www.suryalila.com, email info@suryalila.com or call 856 023 631

Back to basics!

O

N New Year’s Day my partner and I were headed back from a Christmas break in Toledo with the needle on the fuel gauge hovering scarily close to empty.

The gasolineras were on holiday too and it took several abortive stops and some complicated directions from a man walking his dog before we found an independent owner who lived above

Andalucia’s singular wayside eateries have come to the succour of many a weary traveller and their home-cooked vittles are simply delicious, writes Geoff Garvey

his petrol pumps. He opened up especially for us. The Spanish are like that.

That problem solved, we badly needed a top up of sustenance ourselves as our own tanks were running on empty. Same story – every restaurant we passed was closed for the fiesta … until we crossed the border from Castilla-La Mancha into Andalucia.

Heading along the N502, it was after 3pm when we pulled into the anonymous country AUTHENTIC: Venta Alfarnate is centuries old

town of Alcaracejos in Cordoba province and spotted the drab exterior of Venta-Bar Tic Tac, proclaiming its name to the world on dusty green awnings. Its appearance certainly lived up to its name – tacky; the sort of place you wouldn’t normally give a second glance. But hunger forced us to reassess our culinary expectations. And it was open.

Beyond the glass doors we could see people eating tapas at the bar. Now close to desperate we decided to bite the bullet (probably literally) and fill up with whatever miserable tapas were served.

Inside, the bar was functional but clean with tiled walls, tacky Christmas décor and lots of mirrors. I eyed a customer jabbing a fork into a slice of tortilla at the bar, and asked for the menu.

Longing For a Different Kind of Holiday?

Your new home-away from home, magical Suryalila Retreat Centre is located in the rolling foothills of the Sierra de Cadiz, in the heart of Andalusia.

Stunning scenery, designer decorated accommodations and outstanding organic vegetarian feasts in a warm and friendly environment.

Special last minute five day packages or hotel stays which include three daily meals, use of our salt water pool and optional Yoga classes. Suryalila offers outstanding healing arts therapies and daily Yoga Classes to suit all levels.

Beautiful and varied accommodation for all budgets from deluxe suites to glamping tents.

Five Day Packages Hiking, Nature and Yoga Holiday Adventure and Yoga Holiday Horseriding and Yoga Beginners Yoga Intensive www.suryalila.com info@suryalila.com 856-023-631

Relax and Restore Retreat Wine and Yoga

1717

June 10th - June 23rd 2020 June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Venta vittles

Garvey’s Top Ten venta dishes (and where to try them):

ROADSIDE DELIGHT: Venta Pinto in Vejer de la Frontera

“You want to eat tapas or a full meal?” asked the barman.

“A full meal, if we can,” we both chorused.

“Comedor,” he said pointing towards an inauspicious looking door at the rear of the bar. If he’d said ‘open sesame’ the scene that greeted us on the other side of it couldn’t have surprised us more: a cavernous dining room, white linen cloths, gleaming cutlery and at least 40 tables, all occupied. The place was buzzing!

But like magic, they found us a table for two.

A waiter arrived with a broad smile, a bowl of olives and menus. As he poured us two copas of manzanilla sherry we related our experience of finding everything closed in Castilla-La Mancha.

“Oh, they’re strange people over there. This is Andalucía!

We are always open!” he replied, almost singing the words like an anthem.

He wasn’t wrong. Ventas are virtually unknown outside of Andalucia, but these humble wayside dining haunts are ubiquitous here. Originating from bygone days when much of the region’s seasonal work was done by itinerant labourers, they specialise in hearty home-cooked fare at working class prices and they’re open when everywhere else is shut.

Our waiter reappeared like a sorcerer with a bottle of house red wine, a large bottle of mineral

water and a basket of oven-fresh bread. Everyone was eating menú del día. It was all there was. But what a menu! There was none of your predictable soup-or-salad followed by tired old filete de lomo or revuelto.

The choice was quite mind boggling.

There was salchichón and chorizo ibérico, salmorejo, tortilla de jamón, sopa castellana, ensalada de pulpo and salteado de verduras – and that was just for starters. Mains included cerdo ibérico a la brasa, merluza, fritura de pescado, liebre (hare) con arroz, hearty rabo de toro, to give just a taster of what was on offer.

The desserts range was equally extravagant with three varieties of flan: pan de Calatrava from Murcia, tarta de Santiago, a Galician speciality, pudín and all kinds of fresh fruit, pineapple too. The entire feast, including drinks, came to an astonishing €9 each! How they manage to turn in a profit with those margins is a topic for a university thesis...

Indeed, ventas already have a special place in Spanish history. They crop up in the pages of Cervantes’ Don Quijote and have long been places where weary travellers could seek shelter from the slings and arrows of bad weather and tedious journeys.

A true venta is on a highway, not tucked away down some city street. It often sells local produce, like pots of honey and

Garvey’s Top 10

my pick of AndaluNow comes the controversial bit as. cia’s best vent along the way, I’m sure I’ve missed a few good ones the west of use and it’s geographically biased beca of these you’ll one Andalucía is where I live. But at any no eye-watering be royally served and there’ll be bill. the get when you favourites pleaIf you feel that I’ve missed one of your ion. The adsect t men se add the details in the com ion which may be dress relates to the nearest conurbat y. awa quite a few kilometres Venta Esteban, Jerez nia, Cádiz Venta La Duquesa, Medina Sido laga Má te, rna Alfa te, Venta Alfarna Venta Pinto, Vejer, Cádiz laga Venta Valdivia, Algatocín, Má lá de los Alca iz, Gal Venta Puerto de iz Gazules, Cád ejos, Córdoba 7. Venta Bar Tic Tac, Alcarac Granada Fe, 8. Venta Marinetto, Santa ería Alm r, 9. Venta del Pobre , Nija laga Ma el, 10. Venta El Tun

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

pates, and its pedigree is generally denoted by the quality of the hocks of jamon iberico hanging from the ceiling.

Of course, there are ventas and ventas. Nineteenth century traveller Richard Ford turned up at one venta in Granada province, optimistically called La Grande, and soon wished he hadn’t. After describing La Grande’s ‘colossal inconveniences’ he decided to bed down for the night, but found another collection of hungry guests lying in wait for him.

He wrote: ‘However devoid of creature comforts this grand hotel, there is a grand supply of creeping creatures and the traveller runs the risk of bidding adieu to sleep and passing the night exclaiming “Ay! de Mi!” as the pulgas (fleas) begin to bite.’

In other venta adventures, Ford would often ask the ventero (owner) what he had by way of vittles. ‘Hay de todo’ (Everything you want) would invariably be the reply. Then, as each of the dishes Ford suggested were dismissed with a shrug, it eventually dawned on the Englishman that there was nothing he wanted at all unless he had brought with him. Many travellers did just that, using venta kitchens to cook meals from the ingredients they had purchased along the way.

That’s not the case today. Andalucía’s ventas today are generally very good, a number of them outstandingly so. Indeed, some have upped their game beyond the simple fare served to famished travellers to become restaurants in all but name.

Many, such as the Venta Alfarnate in the upper reaches of Axarquía, northwest of Málaga, have been serving travellers for centuries. Set in an isolated spot in the midst of brooding hills, it’s not hard to see how it became a hotspot for brigands and highwaymen.

Claiming, with some justification, to be the oldest inn in Andalucía, Venta Alfarnate was frequented by some of the region’s most fearsome 19th century bandoleros, including the most terrifying of them all: El Tempranillo.

This notorious latter-day Robin Hood who was said to ‘charm’ the gold rings and bracelets off his female victims, arrived unannounced one hot day in the 1820s in a less-than-charming

What’s your favourite venta?

Send your Top 10 to newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

mood. Finding there were no spoons for him to eat with, he forced the other unfortunate diners to eat their wooden ones at gunpoint, cracking their teeth in the process.

Indeed, the venta once had a jail cell for holding outlaws en route with their captors to justice in Málaga. The well-preserved cell has been turned into a dining alcove which must make it one of the most offbeat places to eat anywhere in these parts. Particularly so when a life-size effigy of another notorious bandolero, the Madrileno Luis Candelas, is giving you the evil eye from a stool in the corner...

1. Liebre con Arroz. Hare cooked in rice. (Bar Tic Tac, Córdoba) 2. Pollo Ajillo. Chicken fried with heaps of garlic - finger lickin’ good! (Venta El Tunel) 3. Ajo Blanco. The classic cold Malagueno soup made with breadcru mbs, garlic and ground almonds. (Venta Alfarnate) 4. Rabo de Toro. Succulent oxta il stew. (Venta La Duquesa) 5. Jabali al Horno. Oven-roaste d wild boar. (Venta Puerto de Galis) 6. Alcachofas a la plancha. Pan -fried artichokes, an Andaluz delicacy. (Venta Esteban) 7. Gambas Pil-Pil. Shrimps in sizzling spicy oil. (Venta Marinetto) 8.

Sardinas en Vinagre. Ten times better than the traditional boquerones!

(Venta Pinto) 9. Salmorejo.

The classic cold soup from Córdoba province made with breadcrumbs, olive oil and tomatoes. (Venta del Pobre) 10. Carne Mechada Tasty cuts of larded pork (cerdo ibérico). (Puerto de Galis)

The best dining terrace on the Costa del Sol is open again !!! from Friday 29th May

tel: 952 89 50 35 info@restaurantesarmiento.com Crta. de Casares Km 12’5 Mon & Wed: 13:00-16:00 Thur, Fri, Sat: 13:00-16:00 & 19:30-22:30 Sun: 13:00-16:00 Tue: Closed

www.restaurantesarmiento.com authenticity, spontaneity and enjoyment when being around a table

18

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Spanish property prices to ‘crash 20%’ says expert

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

A SPANISH property boss has predicted house prices could crash by 20% this year because of the coronavirus crisis.

President of the Remax real estate agency network in Spain, Javier Sierra has forecasted that house sales could plunge between 10% to 30% with corresponding ‘coronavirus discounts’ having to be offered by sellers.

The boss of the estate agency franchise, which has more than 150 offices in Spain, gave the extreme-

TH4471

95.995€

PROPERTY

Covid crunch

ly negative forecast to the Idealista property portal.

Most property forecasts have predicted more modest price reductions, with banks PRICES: Of property for last three years generally anticipating a 6% tor, Adam Neale, is uncondrop, while other predic- vinced by Sierra’s gloomy tions – including from the assertion.

EU – are He said: “I would equate around the trying to forecast what is 3% mark. going to happen with trySierra said: ing to predict the score in a “We mustn’t world cup final - extremely forget that unlikely to be accurate and THE Gran Hotel Miramar, one of Malaga’s the real es- at best a wild guess. most luxurious hotels has opened its doors tate market “The last financial crisis did for the first time since March. takes time not see a blanket reduction Although it only welcomed a small number to adjust be- in prices but rather a ranof guests on the first day, the hotel is concause sellers dom pattern based on locafident that the figures will grow from midneed time to tion and circumstance.

June onwards. find out at He added: “I would say at what price present most buyers are they should looking for discounts besell at, and tween 5% and up to 15%. the same “Some owners based on h a p p e n s circumstance are willing to to people trade but the majority are who need to not, so expect discounts of buy.”

5% to 10% at the most.”

But the Ol- “People want to get back to ive Press’s normal as soon as possible p r o p e r t y and not just what they were c o m m e n t a - doing before.”

Grand opening

Las Casillas, Jaen

3 bed, 1 bath Build: 104m2

This mid cul de sac townhouse is bigger than it looks both in size and character. Park under the trees at the front or access the property and car port via a track at the back.

Enter into a cosy sitting room with arches into another sitting area and the corridor to stairs and large kitchen/diner.

Martos Office +34 953 704 319 info@inlandandalucia.com

Calle Lope de Vega, 6, 23600 Martos (Jaén)

www.inlandandalucia.com

HOTEL BOSS: Sune

Open for business AROUND 80% of hoteliers in Malaga have announced they will reopen in July.

According to the President of the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), Luis Callejon Sune, hotels will fill 30% of their capacity this summer.

That figure is half of what Vice President of Aehcos, Juan Marin had predicted previously.

Summer

Callejon Sune cited the fact that most countries are urging citizens not to travel abroad and to instead holiday domestically.

He specified that according to data available to airports, air traffic in July will only reach 20% compared to the same month last year.

That figure will rise to 35% in August and 40% in September.

“This summer, international tourism on the Costa del Sol will only represent between 5% and 10%, compared to 60% of any other summer,” he added.

Feeling chipper Experienced legal company Fairway Lawyers have had a 99% success rate in battling the so-called ‘clausula suelo’ floor clausesa

O

NCE upon a time a happy English couple (let’s call them the Smiths) who worked very hard in Birmingham all their lives dreamed of buying a property in Spain.

One day they decided they had ‘had enough of rain, beer and fish and chips’ and decided to come to Spain to change it for sun, sangria and paella.

But they were not 100% sure about it… it was, after all, a big move in their lives, but you only live once, so they booked their flights to Spain.

They fell in love with Spain at first glance and their people and agreed to go ahead with the purchase of a property on one of the classic costas and they cashed all their savings back in the UK and applied for a Spanish mortgage.

Those were the ‘Happy days’ the good times between 2002- and 2009, when Spanish banks were keen to grant as many mortgages

as they could.

Indeed just about any property buyer could sign the deeds and get a mortgage. Floor Clause, also sometimes known in The interest rates were low and the Spanish as the ‘Suelo Hipotecario’. mortgage payments were low.

Basically this simple clause was insertUnfortunately, though, they were not ed into many variable rate mortgage aware that the bank had included a agreements in Spain during the last 20 dodgy small clause called the ‘claúsula years and it affects the interest rate paysuelo’ or Floor Clause, which means the able on the mortgage. bank always wins and the clients always For most Spanish variable rate mortlose. gages, the interest rate And inevitably one day payable is calculated by in 2008 the whole thing reference rate to Euro It is estimated collapsed and so began Interbank Offered Rate that 3.5million (Euribor). the credit crunch, the interest rates started to If interest rates increase, mortgages rise without control and then the interest on the the mortgage payments mortgage also increases, have a floor increased every year to likewise, if the EURIBOR clause extremely high rates. decreases, then interest Thank goodness in 2011 payments will fall. the interest rates started However, the insertion to go down and the mortgage payments of the floor clause into the mortgage were getting lower. agreement meant that mortgage holdBut unfortunately for the Smiths, there ers did not fully benefit from the fall was no benefit for the drop due to the in EURIBOR as there was a minimum rate of interest payable on the mortgage (also known as a ‘suelo’).

And the level of the floor will Quick Crossword depend on the Across: 7 Italian, 8 Ache, 9 Seep, 10 Bracelet, 11 Pasbank providing sage, 14 Ember, 15 Eject, 17 Avenged, 21 Stirring, 22 the mortgage Mute, 23 Kept, 24 Emulate.

Down: 1 Cinema, 2 Hasp, 3 Kitbag, 4 In-law, 5 Salesman, 6 Thieve, 12 Security, 13 Era, 16 Jutted, 18 Vigour, 19 Esteem, 20 Eider, 22 Moat.

SUDOKU

OP Puzzle solutions

and when the mortgage was taken out, but it was typical to see a floor of 3- 4%.

This clause has been deemed by both the Spanish and European courts to be illegal, and unfair and constitute ‘abusive’ practice.

It is estimated that there were more than 3.5 million mortgages in Spain affected.

The main banks affected are Banco Popular, Unicaja and Banco de Sabadell as well as many others, and most expats and foreign home owners are simply not aware of it.

In the case of the Smiths though, they were lucky.

They came across a company called Fairway Laywers, which has expertise in banking law and mortgage claims against Spanish banks.

Over a few short months, the company was able to obtain a positive ruling (and so far has achieved a 99% success rate with dozens of other clients) from the court.

The floor clause was removed so they finally paid the correct amount and they were also able to recover 15,000 euros

for the illegal interest paid over eight years.

After this ruling and although Brexit was approved and the coronavirus outbreak affected the world, the Smiths have stayed in Spain and are living happily here today.

So make sure you get in touch today with Fairway Lawyers (WWW.FAIRWAYLAWYERS.COM).

Please bear on mind, you can claim if you are still paying your mortgage in Spain or even IF YOU HAVE SOLD YOUR PROPERTY IN THE PAST AND PAID OFF THE MORTGAGES. YOU ARE STILL ENTITLED TO APPLY FOR COMPENSATION FROM THE BANK PLUS LEGAL INTEREST. Fairway Lawyers work on a NO WIN NO FEE basis so you don’t have to pay any fee to us.

All we need is a copy of your last mortgage payment and copy of the mortgage deeds so we can check whether you have the aforementioned floor clause included in your mortgage deeds or not so we can calculate the amount of the claim.

Contact diego@fairwaylawyers.com for more info or call 0034 952771150 or 0034 606307885

BUSINESS

Package for poorest Calls for Spain’s minimum income scheme to be extended amid pandemic

A UN expert has called on Spain to extend its new minimum income scheme to more people.

Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the plan shows how states can take advantage of the global COVID-19 pandemic to address extreme poverty and reduce inequality.

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

The Property Insider

by Adam Neale

The summer of COVID-19

If you’re hoping to get away on holiday this summer, the best advice I can offer is book ahead, make sure you can cancel and be ready to adapt

A TOUGH: De Schutter on Spanish poverty He said: “The scheme will provide much-needed relief to those in need and is a great example of how to develop an inclusive approach to addressing poverty and

Taxing times SPAIN’S proposed Google tax has cleared its first hurdle despite opposition from right-wing parties.

The tax is part of a finance bill currently going through parliament.

The conservative PP, centre-right Ciudadanos and far-right VOX had backed a series of amendments that would have seen the tax dropped.

But Congress rejected the amendments.

Although this is a victory for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s socialist coalition government, the Google tax is a long way from being approved.

The entire finance bill still has to be approved by Congress.

It also includes other new

19

taxes, including environmental ones, as well as a reform of corporate tax.

Minister of Finance, Maria Jesus Montero, said the Google tax would not affect small and medium businesses or retail e-commerce sites.

It would apply to tech giants with a global revenue higher than €750 million a year and more than €3 million income from Spain.

They would be faced with a bill of 3% of earnings from online ads, deals brokered on digital platforms and sales of user data.

TRAVEL ASSISTANCE HOME START

Sometimes your car won’t start. Maybe it’s a flat battery, a cold engine or a more complex electrical failure such as a faulty alternator.

With Travel Assistance there’s no need to worry. Your vehicle is covered and assistance will be provided from kilometre 0, i.e. the place where the insured vehicle is immobilized. And Travel Assistance covers all of Spain, the rest TheOlivePress-256x170-CAR-4.indd 1 of Europe and Mediterranean countries.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Línea Directa has optional Travel Assistance that will come to your rescue if you breakdown on your doorstep. Home start cover means we’ll despatch one of recovery vehicles to your home address. Our certified mechanics will try to fix your vehicle on the spot or tow your vehicle to an approved garage for repair at no extra cost.

WHAT TO DO? If your car breaks down at your home address, call Línea Directa on 919 171 171. A break-

inequality.”

At the moment, Spain’s ‘minimum vital income’ scheme is expected to reach more than 850,000 households and benefit 1.6 million people living in extreme poverty.

The poorest households would receive between €451.5 to €1,015 per month, depending on family size.

“I encourage the Spanish government to continue to expand coverage for this scheme and lower eligibility and bureaucratic requirements,” De Schutter said.

“Public spending on social protection at this time is a crucial investment whose impacts will last for years to come.”

“It is essential that the scheme be designed to reach as many people in need as possible.”

Despite the economic recovery experienced after the 2008-11 crisis, inequality in Spain has remained well above EU averages and regional minimum income schemes have been largely inadequate.

FTER months of staying at home, most of us are dreaming of getting away, as long as we can stay safe.

While the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic seems to have passed its peak in much of Western Europe, uncertainty still remains about restrictions on travel and leisure activities for the rest of the year and beyond. As a result, lots of people have put off booking holidays until now, but that looks set to change very quickly.

Spain has declared the country will reopen to tourists from July 1, welcome news for visitors and all those whose livelihoods depend on tourism. The sector accounts for around 12% of Spain’s GDP and employs millions directly and indirectly, especially in ing and HomeAway, have begun to see a places like the Costa del Sol. The last few huge upturn in traffic after weeks of flatmonths have been particularly hard for lo- lined demand. Most of the big online opercal businesses and people, many of which ators have made alterations to cancellation and refund policies since the pandemic need summer income to surbegan, trying to balance the vive year-round. interests of those who rely Although France and Portuon their sites to book their Choose gal are going to reopen their vacations with those of the borders to tourists on June carefully, don’t owners who provide the prop22, anyone entering Spain My advice is choose will still be subject to a 14trust deals that erties. carefully, don’t trust deals day quarantine period until sound too good and be sound too good that the end of the month. Howev100% sure of who you are er, as from June 15, approxito be true dealing with to prevent fraud. mately 11,000 German tourSo, if you’re planning to visit ists will be permitted to travel the Costa del Sol in the next to the Balearic Islands to test few months, I’d recommend out the safety measures already in place at you reserve your travel and accommodaairports, hotels and other destinations.

The UK has recently introduced its own tion as soon as possible, but be sure you quarantine regime for people entering (and can modify or cancel and get a refund, if re-entering) the country from abroad. This necessary. That means reading the small requires all those arriving to do two weeks print in contractual terms and conditions of self-isolation at a declared address, before making payment and, where possubject to possible check-ups from health sible, preferring to use reputable and reliauthorities to ensure they are where they able providers and intermediaries. Taking are supposed to be backed up by fines if out comprehensive insurance to cover any they’re not. The controversial measure was eventualities that could occur while you’re expected to put off many Brits from ven- away is also a worthwhile investment. turing overseas this summer, but recent Whatever you decide to do and wherever spikes in airline bookings suggest other- you choose to go this summer, whether it be to stay at home or enjoy a holiday abroad, wise.

At the same time, popular holiday accom- don’t forget to wash your hands, observe modation platforms, such as Airbnb, Book- social distancing rules and keep safe!

Terra Meridiana, 77 Calle Caridad, Estepona • 29680 • Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 • Email: info@terrameridiana.com • Website: www.terrameridiana.com

TM

902 123 282

down recovery vehicle will be sent to help you out. They will aim to get you on the move again as quickly as possible. If your car cannot be repaired in situ then a tow to the nearest apcomprehensive offer valid new customers only. This Guaranteeservice subjec t to cover,is repair at proved*Fully garage will beforarranged. approved garage, and cour tesy vehicle availabilit y. Subjec t to conditions. O ffer ends 30/11/18. available day or night, 365TM days a year.

HOW TO GET COVERED You can add Travel Assistance to your existing Línea Directa policy by calling us on 917 002 006. If you would like to request a quote for car insurance, you can call Línea Directa on 952 147 834 and find out which cover best suits your needs.

902 123 282

TOTAL REASSURANCE

Over 3 million people trust Línea Directa for total peace-of-mind. They have been providing specialist car insurance for British expatriates for over 20 years. A leading insurance company dedicated to keeping motorists on the move.

BEST PRICE. BETTER COVER.

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

2/8/18 17:01

Latest Investment

H

ERE at SG Haulage, we specialise in moving all types of private and company vehicles to and from the continent and around the UK. Whether you need to bring a treasured car back home from a European location; or transport a vehicle that you don’t wish to add miles onto, we can arrange all aspects

of this for you via our enclosed car carrier.

Ensuring the vehicle is covered throughout its journey means it remains in pristine condition, with our trained drivers safeguarding its efficient and safe delivery to its destination.

This makes it the perfect solution for transporting prestige and classic cars as well as racing and high performance vehicles. We are also able to offer a track to track service.

SG Haulage will arrange all necessary documentation when shipping abroad and already has European permits in place to make the process stress-free.

For more information on the extensive range of services we offer, please visit www. sghaulageltd.co.uk ● info@sghaulage.com ● +44 1522 702 443

20

Affordable Business June 10th June 23rd 2020 Contacts

Air conditioning AIR CONDITIONING

AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS AND NEW INSTALLATIONS

CLASSIFIEDS

We do not accept sex adverts!

RECRUITMENT

We specialize in Air-Conditioning and heating systems with thousands of satisfied customers.

We also service and repair any make and model of Air-Conditioning.

Maintenance contracts available from only 5.80€ per month.

Ecosense movement sensors fitted from 100€ We are authorized installers by the Junta de Andalucía as the new law states (real decreto 115/2017)

tel: (+34) 952 443 222 airflowspain@live.com AIRFLOW AIR CONDITIONING SL

translations

coolandcosy@hotmail.com www.coolandcosy.es

CONSTRUCTION

tRANSPORT SERVICE/removals

SOLICITOR

OFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS. ALL LANGUAGES. SENT BY COURIER. 654613094 sanpedrotranslations@gmail.com

EXPERIENCED BRITISH SOLICITOR Spanish speaking providing legal advice: conveyancing, residency, wills and inheritance.

ADVERTISING For classified advertising needs, please contact Tina on 647 078 775 or Sam on 634 611 836

Contact Victoria at: www.britishlawyerspain.com or + 34 678 826 771

indian restaurant

HAIRDRESSING TRASPASO fully equipped Official accredited beauty salon with two hairdressing points, two nail workstations, pedicure area, two enclosed cubicles for treatments, bathroom with shower, reception area. Products, furniture and equipment included.

Excellent central Marbella location.

Offers and viewing Call 609461591 for more information.

Chickens for sale

PLUMBING

SILKIE HENS FOR SALE Silkie chicks and young birds for sale, 10-20 euros each.

Various colours. Also fertile eggs, 12 euros for 6. Can post eggs.

Prizewinning cockerel from England. Docile, ornamental breed.

Based Almunecar.

Telephone Helen on 659280142 or email helenita10@hotmail.com

lock smith

TeleVision

Plumbing and leak detection Working on the coast since 2000 Call Simon on 625 70 27 72

POST SHOPS

kennels & cattery

Eurodog Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Fully Licensed Sanitary Approved Large Secure Runs Purpose Built Secure Play Area Established For Over 20 Years 5 Minutes From Fuengirola

679 786 669 - Alan - 952 464 947 www.eurodog.es - Email - info@eurodog.es

STORAGE

Motorhomes - Caravans Boats - Cars & Vans Delivery & Collection available Short Term - Long Term Established 15 years Safe & Secure - 24hr CCTV

679 786 669 - Alan - 606 101 807

www.eurodog.es - Email - info@eurodog.es

UK CARE & NURSING RECRUITMENT

Having difficulty sending and receiving mail on Spain?

OFFEX offer a secure, reliable and cost effective solution for both businesses and individuals requiring mail and courier services to and from Spain Full range of Royal Mail services Worldwide door to door courier service for time sensitive documents and small packages Economy Courier: Worldwide for to door courier service for less urgent documents, small packages and parcels Budget Courier: European door to door service for non urgent items Luggage Service: Low cost unaccompanied baggage service for your personal effects Iberian Peninsula Courier: Overnight deliveries within Spain Postal Service: Priority Courier:

THE POST SHOP

Avda. De Tivoli, C.C. De la Miel, Local 13, Arroyo de la Miel Tel: 952 577 816 Mon to Fri: 10.00-17.00 Sat: 10.00-12.00

FREE ASSESSMENT WEEK

HEALTH

21

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Fag frenzy

AROUND 40% of Spain’s smokers are getting through more fags during lockdown than normal, a study has revealed.

Meanwhile 20% of habitual or social smokers claim they are partaking in the habit twice as much.

Also, 30% of ex-smokers have sparked up again since Spain shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

The findings have been revealed

by Top Doctors, a Spain-based private health platform.

Surveys were carried out for two months from March 14

Four in 10 smokers have been sparking up more often during Spain’s lockdown, study finds

when a state of alarm was announced in Spain.

The increase in smoking is due to the pressures of life under lockdown, according to Dr. Coll Klein, head of the Pneumology

service at Barcelona’s USP Dexeus University Institute.

He said: “For smokers with a more volatile, more anxious character, the impact of confinement in relation to tobacco use will be higher than usual.

“Confinement has led us to almost completely limited situations, and this may have favoured in some cases a return to tobacco.

“Although to be able to take stock and collect more exact data, we will have to wait a few more months.”

Another striking finding is that two out of three former smokers who have started up again are on the Government’s ERTE programme.

“Being locked up has a negative impact, since it causes a perception of anxiety, stress and anguish,” said Malaga doctor Salvador de Oña.

“To combat this sensation, smokers increase their tobacco consumption,” the regional boss of the Spanish Association against Cancer added.

Oña also dispelled the myth that microdroplets carrying the COVID-19 virus can be spread via tobacco smoke.

Eye tests now available by appointment at Specsavers Ópticas.

We’re ready to welcome you back in store, but we’ve made some changes to our normal practices to make sure it’s always as safe as possible for all our customers and colleagues.

For more information or to request an appointment visit specsavers.es Fuengirola Avda. Ramón y Cajal, 6 Tel. 952 467 837 Marbella Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 12 Tel. 952 863 332

Olive Press Costa del Sol – 170mm x 256mm – Color

w/c 8 June

Weighing in Lisa Burgess offers her experience on weight-watching and how chemo can affect things

M

Y weight has always gone up and down much like Elizabeth Taylor except she was much more beautiful and had more husbands than me.

In my late teens, I weighed in at a hefty 15 stone. I was planning my first big fat American wedding in Los Angeles and was desperate to lose weight.

I watched a motivational programme on the Oprah Winfrey Show which changed my life.

It gave advice on starting your weight loss slowly by simply walking every day.

I kept at it and headed down the aisle at a more decent 11 stone. I forged ahead with Jane Fonda videos, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and a sensible nutritious diet until I had whittled myself down to 8 stone. It lost me my first marriage. Instead of being invisible on Doritos aisle 4, I had metamorphosed into a decent looking broad on eye candy aisle 5.

I tell you all of this because I believe weight was a factor in my contracting cancer. When I lost my dear mum in 2014 my weight ballooned out of control. I had to hit the weight

SKINNY DAYS: Lisa and TV stylist Cathy O’Connor control restart button again in 2018 and repeat.

Some people on chemo actually put on weight due to progressive anti-sickness drugs but I was determined to lose what my oncologist strictly advised. With the beautiful weather in Mijas, the breathtaking boardwalk and a communal pool at my disposal it wasn’t that difficult. I was very careful with what I ate, keeping portion sizes small but frequent and sticking to a diet of fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts.

This brings me to what I learnt just recently as I embark yet again on a weight loss regime with one more stone to lose before my operations ahead.

Don’t buy any junk food AT ALL because you will eat it and you know it is there. It is a very simple tip but I have never tried it

Lisa Burgess properly, always having a hidden cache of crisps, my weakness, in the house.

I don’t weigh myself daily, it’s far healthier mentally to weigh in weekly or fortnightly. As my ‘Bridget Jones’ knickers slacken, I am on the way to my goal, albeit at a snail’s pace. It really is mind over matter.

For those who totally despair, I really understand and I would recommend small steps towards weight loss. Take the stairs instead of a lift, park away from where you are going to lengthen your walk and force yourself to stick at it every day so it becomes your routine. Find different physical activities you enjoy such as golf, pilates, swimming (when we are allowed) and just keep walking. Keep an eye on those portion sizes and replace your dinner plate with a side plate or small bowl, visually your plate looks full.

Vary your routine so you don’t become bored, find different walks, try a new sport. I had to adapt after my mastectomy and swap tennis for padel as my right arm is usually in freeze mode having had 25 lymph nodes and 15 tumours removed, I am lucky I am a left-handed player.

We all need to make our physical and mental health a top priority and I recall famous American musician, Steve Adler, who said: “you can have all the riches and success in the world, but if you don’t have your health, you have nothing”.

22

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

COLUMNISTS

Oh Deer Me! You won’t find Bambi in our neck of the woods despite Gucci’s new fashion trailer, writes Belinda Beckett

I

EMPATHISE with my home town of Brighton where the locals have been begging lockdown day trippers to ‘Please Stay Away’. There were more beach brollies thrust into the pebbles last bank holiday weekend than you can count protein spikes on a coronavirus cluster.

In Los Barrios the closest we get to crowded is the bridle path from our village which currently resembles scenes from The Hajj as scores of off-work walkers circulate from town to campo and back again, taking in the shrine of Mercadona on the return loop before their time slot expires.

But a tourist invasion could be on the cards since Gucci chose Los Alcornocales Natural Park for its Pre-Fall fashion shoot.

I

DIDN’T watch the video. I didn't need to.

The image of George Floyd being 'restrained' was enough. Social media has fulfilled Marshal McLuhan's prophecy of a Global Village in recent months.

The Internet has been full of videos and photos of black men being killed – for jogging, for reaching for their wallets – for a myriad of reasons.

So I knew at once how the video would end.

But the agonising nine-minute death of Floyd was the spark that blew the lid off a pressure cooker scenario that had been building in the US for weeks.

A countrywide lockdown, the resultant economic hardship, the failure to address the issue of racism and a President that – to put it mildly – lacks empathy.

The streets and social media erupted and the hashtag 'Black Lives Matter' was everywhere.

Along with millions of others, on 'Black Out Tuesday' I put up a black square across my platforms.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am not virtue signalling. I have no political agenda to pursue.

But my parents brought me up to treat everyone as an equal, and my grandfather RSM

The honest truth MIJAS MATTERS

By Bill Anderson

Why I’d rather be a sincere human being than a good politician, writes Mijas Councillor Bill Anderson

The Disney-esque trailer has gone viral on YouTube with over 500,000 views and now everyone will be heading here to have a go on the swings and roundabout by the lake and take selfies with squirrels, cute fluffy bunnies and tame Bambi fawns, Gucci Gucci coo.

But they’ll be sadly disappointed. Wild bunnies are not fluffy, the playground attractions don’t exist and the fawns in our neck

of the cork woods are far too savvy to come anywhere near a spiked Gucci heel. It’s all props, Photoshop and fantasy.

As for the clothes, I don’t know what you’ll be wearing for country hikes this autumn but I doubt it will be a red cape and black thigh boots. Fall fashion? You undoubtedly will in these getups.

The Italian fashion house hopes its naffly-titled So Deer to Me campaign will have us all skipping off like flower children to buy Sixties-inspired corduroy suits, pansy shirts and bell bottom trousers.

No way! My bottom is bellshaped enough these days without revisiting that unflattering style.

George Floyd’s death should make us But is anyone even thinking of clothes shopping at the rethink how we treat each other moment? Most of us have enough trouble deciding Robert Hendrie Wilson, Royal what to wear on our faces.

Engineers, landed on the NorDoes one go for those flimsy mandy beaches 75 years ago disposable masks that gape to defeat Nazis. at the sides and make your Before the global fallout of sunshades steam up; the George Floyd's death, people Brownshirts. beaky ones with metal bits were saying that the reaction Just for once, I practised rethat bend round your nose to the coronavirus pandemic straint of tongue and pen and that stop the fogging but was that we would have more consoled myself in the wise make you look like a Mediof a feeling of community, words of the Fun Lovin' Crimieval plague doctor; or make that things would never be the nals: “We all bleed red, even your own? I’m so cack-handsame after the quarantine and racist motherf**kers.” ed with a needle and thread it the Black Lives Matter pro- I hope that George Floyd's took me an entire school year tests. Alas, the keyboard war- death marks a turning point. of needlework classes to hem riors blew that utopian ideal I hope that my African-Amera tablecloth. out of the water. I've seen ev- ican, Afro-Caribbean, Native My fashion tip for supermarerything from 'All Lives Matter', and Latino friends in the States ket shopping is the Darth to claims that reverse racism won't have to worry about their Vader look: a plastic visor - reexists (When I dated a mixed beautiful and brilliant children usable, easy- clean and other race girl in Balham in the 90s, – many of them now gradupeople’s sneeze droplets just I had an idiot come up to ask ating from the virtual class of roll off. her what she was doing with 2020 – coming home safeFor walks, I’m sticking to cirme. But it went no further than ly every time they leave the cuits of our rooftop – no face assumptions on my lack of viril- house. covering required, stunning ity. Which is hardly the same as But most of all I hope that country views and I can do it a sustained campaign of race these tumultuous times will in my slippers and PJs – not hate), to a Brexiteer Boomer make us all pause, take stock Gucci, George at Asda, but boasting that his son had beat- and rethink how we treat each who cares? en up Antifa members, who he other. And in case you were in casually compared to Hitler's any doubt – Black Lives Matter.

It Matters

‘

PEOPLE don’t want to hear the truth, and have their illusions destroyed’, wrote the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

I have learned, however, the difference between being honest and being truthful. Apparently, they are two different kinds of beast.

I may be a local Councillor in Mijas, but I don’t rate myself as much of a politician, even though I’ve spent much of my working life among them. I also spent these years working in psychological services, but the ability of people to surprise me still comes as an eye opener.

A few weeks ago, I made a fairly major cock up and published information on social media which I believed to be true. It turned out I had got it spectacularly wrong! As I sat in my ‘quiet morning time’ considering how to deal with it, I decided that the simplest solution was the best: I apologised.

‘Sorry folks, I got it wrong!’ I wrote. The response was heartwarming. In short, people were stunned and encouraged to see a local politician being honest, holding his hands up and making no excuses. Apparently, I am a rare breed!

A couple of weeks later, I published something which was 100% true but happened to go against requirements set by the government. Now I was ‘irresponsible’, ‘thoughtless’, ‘inconsiderate’ and ‘reckless’. It certainly brought me down from my comfortable, nicely balanced moral pedestal.

So, work this one out: honesty is laudable but truthfulness is reckless if it happens not to coincide with people’s internal narrative.

I find myself at odds with Abraham Lincoln,who said, “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring

them the real facts.’ Really? I’m more in accord with Nietzsche who claimed that ‘There are no facts, only interpretations’.

So, to get back to where I started, where does that leave me as a politician? Clearly, with no more than five out of 10 and a ‘Could do better.’

On reflection, I decided I don’t really care. I am not a career politician planning a life trajectory living from the public purse, dancing a waltz with the voting public and ensuring I don’t step on their toes. Who I am is not defined by other people’s opinion of me.

I will not make a distinction between being honest and telling the truth. If people can’t handle the truth, they can get rid of me at the next elections and vote for someone who will only tell them what they want to hear.

Apparently, that would make me a good politician but, in my books, a very insincere human being.

Despite its frustrations I enjoy my work as a councillor. But I refuse to say ‘Yes’ when the answer is clearly ‘No’. I refuse to say ‘I will’ when the reality is ‘I won’t’. If that makes me a mediocre politician, I can live with that. I didn’t go into politics: I had politics thrust upon me, and make no mistake - ‘I will do it my way’!

SPORT

Fairway L AW Y E R S

23

23

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

June 10th - June 23rd 2020

It’s coming home

Spain’s top flight 202021 season to kick off on September 12

LA Liga’s 2020-21 season will begin on September 12, it has been announced.

Following the Government’s announcement that Spain’s top flight will resume the current season from June 11, the league has now outlined its plans for next season too.

Javier Tebas, President of La Liga said that next season everything will return to ‘nor-

mal’.

He said: “It is important that the crisis caused by the pan-

demic does not generate an economic disaster afterwards.

“The football industry is very

Null and void

NO BATTLE: For Real and Barca

THE EuroLeague season has been cancelled and no champion will be crowned this year.

League officials said they ‘explored every possible option’ in trying to find a way to resume the season.

EuroLeague CEO, Jordi Bertomeu said: “Due to reasons beyond our control, we have been forced to cut short the most successful and exciting season in European basketball history.”

Two Spanish sides were in with a shot of winning the title this season, with El Clasico rivals, Real Madrid and Barcelona sitting in second and third place respectively and both having qualified for the playoffs.

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

important, we generated 1.37% of the country’s GDP, more than 185,000 jobs and welcome thousands of media people.”

The start date for next season in mid-September will fall only two weeks after the Champions League final, which is expected to be held at the end of August.

“Our clubs have already lost at least €700 million and that will have to be recovered,” Tebas added.

“All of us here are entertaining audiences with our sport, we compete with other entertainment industries.”

The 57-year-old also revealed that the league is trialing whether to use ‘fake’ fans to generate noise for people watching the games on television.

“In the Bundesliga they have chosen virtual sound with great success and we are working on giving that option.

“We are currently testing the idea because it costs a lot to put it into practice.”

ARE YOU OWED THOUSANDS FROM YOUR BANK? Did you have an illegal floor clause inserted in your Spanish mortgage?

Millions of homeowners were wrongly charged thousands of euros due to underhand tactics, now outlawed after being exposed by the courts.

Let us take a look at your documents and help you through the complicated process of claiming it back, PLUS damages.

Our bilingual team of Marbella-based lawyers understand the situation well and can move quickly and efficiently.

NO WIN, NO FEE. Get in touch and we will check your mortgage deeds for free and let you know if you have a claim against your bank.

Contact Diego at Fairway Lawyers Tel: 952 77 11 50 diego@fairwaylawyers.com

www.fairwaylawyers.com

C/Nuestra Señora de Gracia 28, 1C 29602, Marbella (Malaga)

Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.

With a UNESCO world heritage site offering 120,000 years of human history and only short drive from the Costa del Sol, enjoy the warmth of the British Gibraltarians and splash out VAT-free in Sterling.

Gibraltar. Sun, sea and history served with a very British twist.

PROUD

BRITISH

For further information call: Gibraltar Tourist Board +350 200 74950 Or to download a brochure go to: www.visitgibraltar.gi

www.visitgibraltar.gi

Heritage STREET PARTIES MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE HISTORY MUSIC

Phoenician Empire Calentita

Jazz

INTERNATIONAL

THE ROCK The MoorishMusicCastle Festivals Food Festival Pillars of Hercules National Week, Chess, Snooker, Backgammon Championships 100000 YEARS Darts, Neanderthal Settlements LITERARY FESTIVAL

ibraltar

#VISITGIBRALTAR

A year of Culture

Bring hearts, minds and souls

The

OLIVE PRESS

Reuse Reduce Recycle We use recycled paper

Embassy grilling

FINAL WORDS

ECUADORIAN embassy bosses have opened a disciplinary process against one of their attachés after police found him at a Madrid barbeque with 46 people.

Arab aid THE United Arab Emirates has sent 18 tonnes of medical aid including PPE and alcohol gels to Marbella.

Bikini bust BIKINI-clad PP Councillor Paula Moreno has left an Andalucian town hall red-faced after attending a Zoom meeting from a beach with her kids.

FREE

www.theolivepress.es

SCARE: Locals rocked by beast sighting

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 345 www.theolivepress.es June 10th - June 23rd 2020

Turtley worth it A SEA turtle entangled in a Spanish fishing net has been returned to the sea by police.

The creature was rescued thanks to the quick thinking of a sailor, who sounded the alarm off the coast, near Aguilas, in Murcia.

Moving Guardia Civil footage shows the turtle

Rescued turtles escape back to the wild after two lucky escapes fighting to survive after becoming snared by the net.

Luckily agents from the Special Group for Underwater Activities (GEAS) swiftly arrived and were

COVID charge A TWITTER storm has erupted after a bar in Tenerife started charging a ‘COVID tax’.

One disgruntled customer posted a picture of a re-

PAY UP: Extra charge

ceipt showing a ‘servicio COVID’ levy of €1.

Some have backed the business, pointing out that gloves, alcohol gels and masks all cost money.

But most responses have been less understanding, with consumers’ rights organisation FACUA branding it illegal and urging people to make official complaints about the practice.

able to carefully aid the turtle’s escape.

The incident occurred just days prior to Oceanografic in Valencia releasing its 500th turtle, which was rescued after swallowing plastic.

The release coincided with World Oceans Day, at El Saler de Valencia, this week.

The turtle was rescued by a fishing boat in the Cullera area, after ingesting significant amounts of plastic including a long string of a helium balloon 50 centimetres long.

It also had a piece of fish lodged in its dorsal and a serious fracture in the shell, possibly caused by a collision with a boat.

After seven months of vet-

FREE: Turtle released

erinary care in which it underwent various treatments, it was released by rescuers from ARCA del Mar. They said the incident 'crudely exemplifies' the human impact sea turtles face in the Mediterranean.

The Guardia Civil’s animal protection arm SEPRONA investigated over 4,000 crimes against the environment in 2019.

What a croc

A CROC hunt has been launched after a 1.5 metre long crocodile was spotted roaming around Valladolid.

Terrified locals reported multiple sightings of the beast on a stretch of the River Duoro between the towns of Simancas and Tordesillas.

Drones have been dispatched to look for the giant reptile, which experts said is likely a Nile crocodile.

The species, which can weigh up to half a tonne, is native to Africa, and the croc in Spain is thought to be an escaped pet or was released by his owner.

As a precaution, fishermen and kayakers have been excluded from a five kilometre radius of the first reported sighting of the animal.

The discovery of ‘two nests’ has bolstered the alleged sightings, while fish have been spotted with distinctive bite marks, typical of a large reptile.

TM

952 147 834

*Based on third par ty. Offer valid for new customers only. Subject to conditions. Ends 31/12/20.

TheOlivePress-256x170-CAR0520.indd 1

11/5/20 9:46