Gilbraltar Olive Press - Issue 111

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Vol. 5, Issue 111 www.theolivepress.es December 4th - December 17th 2019

I vow our ‘progressive’ nation is soon to be reborn

Braveheart!

Gibraltar security guard reveals how he chased and pinned down an alleged murderer, after fatal Costa stabbing EXCLUSIVE

By John Culatto

A BATTLE-hardened security guard for Gibraltar’s Chief Minister has chased and pinned down a suspected murderer.

Brave James Abecasis told the Olive Press how he tackled the knife-wielding attacker as he fled the scene of a fatal stabbing on the Costa del Sol. Father-of-one Abecasis, 28, revealed how he chased the alleged killer, a Brazilian, after stepping in to try and stop the vicious attack outside a nightclub in Estepona.

While most people wou ld have left the scene, the former soldier said his ‘instinct’ told him to chase the attacker, who was running away.

“I went flying after him and as he rounded the block I tackled him to the floor, getting grazed on my hand as I took away the knife from him,” he continued.

“I then held him down with a club security guard until the police arrived a few minutes later and cuffed him.”

EXCLUSIVE CHAT with the Chief Minister See Page 4

Violent

INSTINCT: Abecasis served with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment

UK

Gibraltar-born Abecasis - who spent four years with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, much of it in the Middle East - had been on a night out with friends.

When they came out of the Mykonos nightclub in Estepona, at 4am, a fight quickly broke out between two strangers.

It has since emerged that Sabinillas hairdresser Abdessamad el Ammali, 21, from Morocco, died within minutes of the stabbing.

He had accidentally spilled his beer over the attacker, it has since emerged.

“They were on the floor hitting each other and no-one had intervened,” he told the Olive Press.

That is when he decided he had to do something.“Someone held one of the guys and I held the other, who I had faceto-face,” he revealed.

“It was really violent and there BASED was literally a river of blood as his attacker must have hit an artery,”

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CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo has insisted that legalizing abortion without a referendum would be like ‘shoving progessivism’ down Gibraltarians throats.

In an exclusive interview with the Olive Press, the leader, who was recently elected to his third consecutive term, said his government needed to be ‘realistic’ with such hot topics.

While he confirmed he was pro-abortion, he insisted: “We have to deliver the progressive agenda in a way that doesn’t break our society.”

“Conservative society has adopted our agenda because we have ensured we’ve respected the freedom and liberty of those who wish to disagree with us.”

He added ahead of next March’s referendum: “There are others who are so progressive, they would force things down the throats of those who disagree with them.

“I think that’s actually so progressive that it becomes anti-libertarian.”

A new storm TRAGIC: Victim Abdessamad (top), blood at the crime scene (centre) and police arriving at Estepona Port revealed Abecasis, who has been working in the Chief Minister’s security team for four months. “I think I will have a few flashbacks because of all the blood there,” he added.

Abecasis revealed that his army training has helped him through life.“I definitely don’t regret it,” he said. “I am proud of what I did.

Even the judge at the initial court case hearing this week told me how brave I was.”

Tel: 952 147 834

See page 19

TM

IT will go down as the hottest decade on record.

With temperatures soaring, both on land and sea, global warming has become a major issue for Europe.

With temperatures about 1.1C above the average from 2010 to 2019, desertification has been spreading, in particular, through southern Spain.

The provinces of Granada, Malaga and Almeria are at serious risk, while Murcia and large parts of Valencia are also in danger of semi-desert conditions.

The ‘exceptional’ heat around the world was announced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), as climate activist Greta Thunberg (pictured) arrived in Portugal by boat en route for a key climate summit in Madrid this week.

She is set to stay in the capital for two weeks, taking part in a huge demonstration this Friday.

Opinion page 6

2

CRIME

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF

Bloody Mary POLICE are investigating a violent mass brawl in a Sevilla bar, which left the floor streaked in blood.

Gay basher A VIOLENT homophobe broke a man’s nose in a Sevilla club after calling him a ‘fag.’

Fabian’s hero

Stealing siblings FOUR brothers have confessed to working together to break into eight houses on the Costa Blanca.

Frankenstein ‘victim’ Police search for vanished sailor in Gibraltar cemetery who may be serial killer’s victim NEW information has emerged about a Royal Navy sailor who disappeared 30 years ago and may be the victim of a serial killer.

The RGP and Hampshire Constabulary are taking a fresh look into how Simon Parkes,18, disappeared in December 1986.

The Bristol-born radio operator came ashore in Gibraltar but never made it back on-board his ship, HMS Illustrious.

Despite a massive manhunt he was nowhere to be

found, much to the horror of his parents.

The young man’s disappearance has previously been linked to the socalled ‘Frankenstein killer’ Allan Grimson.

Double murderer Grimson, who told interrogators slitting one of his victims’ throats was better than sex, had been part of the same crew as Simon.

Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

DCI Finlayson highlighted the importance of “never giving up in an unresolved

INVESTIGATION: Killer Allen Grimson (left) and Simon Parkes (right)

cold case investigation.”

He said: “The Police is duty bound to the general public and to Simon’s heartbroken parents, to follow up these new investigative opportunities, and we are hopeful that answers will be forthcoming.”

The latest information

Evening execution AN evening execution left a man dead on the streets of Marbella last night.

Police are seeking two men who shot the 50-something man at point blank range in scenic Cabopino Port.

A total of five shots - one through the eye - left the man lying on his back in the restaurant Da Bruno’s car park.

In the fourth apparent gangland murder on the Costa del Sol in just two months, the suspects sped off towards the nearby A7 toll road entrance in Calahonda at full speed, breaking through one of the barriers heading towards Malaga.

By Laurence Dollimore and Robert Firth

They were driving a blue Renault Megane rental car, which was later dumped and set alight in Mijas.

British golf pro Ian Williams heard the shots from inside Da Bruno’s before going out to get his car, which was parked nearby.

“I was one of the first people to see him lying on the floor. He was on his back, rigid, with a hole in what looked like an eye,” he told the Olive Press.

seems to revolve around Trafalgar Cemetery, where it is possible that his body was buried.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Simon can call the RGP on 20072500, or if in the UK, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

POINT BLANK: Hail of bullets leaves man dead in restaurant car park

E IV US CL IC EX P

A MAN who chased down a ‘murderer’ outside an Estepona bar has been revealed as the Gibraltar Chief Minister’s security guard.

Full report at www.theolivepress.es

December 4th - December 17th 2019

Decade to report domestic violence SPANISH victims of domestic violence take almost a decade to report abuse.

Research by the government has found that it takes an abused partner on average eight years and eight months to seek help.

41.2% of women killed are aged between 41 and 50 years old and 49% of killers are of the same age group.

Just under half of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence in Spain are foreigners.

Submerged economy

THE pilot of an incredible narco-submarine carrying €120 million of drugs has been arrested.

He is the fifth man to be picked up after the vessel was seized in Galicia after its 4,778-mile journey from South America.

A total of three Spaniards and two Ecuadorians have been arrested since the 65-foot craft, which carried 3,000kg of cocaine, divided into 152 bales, landed in Aldan.

Officials say it is the first time a narco submarine, worth an estimated €2.5 million, has been found operating in Spanish waters.

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es HE’S been truly lighting up the lives of Malaga residents over the last few months.

So it was more than appropriate that Antonio Banderas should switch on the city’s celebrated Christmas lights.

The Hollywood star, who was born in the city, has just opened a new theatre in the city.

Banderas joined Junta President Juanma Moreno and Malaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre (right) at the

IN SPAIN: For spy drama

Colin on the costas OSCAR-winning English gent Colin Firth is shooting a World War II film on the Costa del Sol, but needs some help.

Producers of Operation Mincemeat have put out a casting call for the movie, which sees the King’s Speech star playing the part of a spy.

The film, also starring Scottish actress Kelly MacDonald, tells the story of how the Allies foxed Hitler during the war.

It came when the navy faked the death of an ‘officer’ in the Royal Marines using the body of a tramp, washed up on a beach in Huelva.

The body of Glyndwr Michael was dropped in the sea to be picked up by fishermen, before being handed over to the Germans.

The fake plans in his pocket allegedly showed the Allies would launch a major drive against the Nazis in Greece, not Italy.

Hitler fell for it and moved 90,000 troops from southern Italy, meaning the Allies faced a smaller opposition force when they landed in Sicily.

The incredible case is said to have saved the lives of over 40,000 Allied soldiers.

Based on a 2010 book by spy historian Ben Macintyre, filming begins in March along the Costa del Sol and Huelva.

December 4th - December 17th 2019

3

Name in lights! annual switch on in front of thousands of spectators.

Speaking at the event, he said: “This is my city and I will always work for it with all the love from my heart.”

It was the first time in recent years that Malaga was without its famous light tunnel, which was this year sold to Liverpool City Council.

Fan of the family Helena Bonham Carter’s grandfather was a Spanish war hero who saved thousands of Jews SHE has become one of the most famous faces on TV screens this Autumn thanks to her portrayal of Princess Margaret in the Crown.

Playing the controversial Queen’s sister in the third series of the Netflix drama, Helena Bonham Carter, 53, shows off the perfect regal poise.

However, it emerges the actress is almost more a Spanish senorita, than a British one.

In a fabulous new documentary, in which she stars, Channel 4 has pieced together the heroics of her Spanish grandfather during the Second World War. Going back to her Spanish roots, we discover that Edu-

See Olive Press online for more stories on Operation Mincemeat

ardo Propper de Callejon played a big role in saving thousands of Jews in occupied France.

Then based in Paris, the Spanish diplomat defied his government to provide visas for Jewish families to escape into Portugal.

In one moving scene, Helena met with Martha Bolinski in Bordeaux, whose family were among those saved by Eduardo, and who went on to reveal that her great-grandfather had gone on to become the founder of UNICEF in America after the war.

Eduardo, who was born and studied law in Madrid, died when Helena was just three, leaving her with few memories, so she started her jour-

INTRIGUING: Bonham Carter is inspired by hero grandfather Propper (inset) ney by speaking to her moth- able. conventional war heroes, they er Elaina.

“I think he had a great sense didn't fight in any battles or Elaina revealed: 'My father of what people should do in win any medals, but I want was very secretive, with very life. They would have all died to discover what they did for few friends, he never talked if he hadn't done it.' themselves.' about what he did in his life. As Helena herself explains in During the filming, she travHe was very modest because the documentary My Grand- elled to Paris to explore where what he did was so remark- parents’ War: 'They weren't her grandparents Eduardo, grandmother 'Bubbles' and her mother lived in the 1930s.

They shared the house with an extended family of uncles, aunts and cousins and while life before the war was harHOW on earth does he do it? monious, when war broke out Despite stiff competition from his usual nemesis Cristiano it was fraught as Eduardo's Ronaldo and, this year, Liverpool’s amazing Virgil van Dijk father was Jewish and at risk (right), Lionel Messi (left, with family) has won the Ballon of the Nazis. d’Or for a record sixth time.

The 32-year-old Barcelona star bagged football’s top prize for netting 54 times for club and country over the 2018 to 2019 Punished season.

Undeterred he signed visas “Today is my sixth Ballon d’Or. It’s a completely different mofor hundreds of families, who ment, lived with my family and my children,” said the Argenwere able to cross neutral tinian.

Spain to Portugal, where they “As my wife said, you must never stop dreaming but always were safe. work to improve and continue to enjoy. I am very lucky, I am Eduardo, who died in London blessed.” in 1972 at the age of 77, went Messi finished ahead of Dutch defender van Dijk, who helped on to be punished for his acLiverpool to beat Tottenham in the Champions League final tions, and sent to Morocco, this year. with a ruined reputation.

In third place was former Real Madrid star Ronaldo, who But the demotion had a silver completed a big money move to Juventus this season. lining, because in Morocco Meanwhile American striker Megan Rapinoe, who led the US his Jewish family were out of national team to a second successive World Cup this year, won danger. the Golden Ball award, with England’s Lucy Bronze second.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Ready for action COMBINED British forces took part in a four-day military exercise to show it was ready for any eventuality on land and sea around Gibraltar.

Gender matters The Ministry of Equality talked to the first batch of PGCE students at the University of Gibraltar on equality matters with a focus on gender and disability.

Beeb gib award Minister Albert Isola attended the Foreign Press Association Awards in London with the Gibraltar government sponsoring the ‘TV News Story of the Year’ won by the BBC.

Brexit shift Nine students from Bayside and Westside Schools have visited UK and Commonwealth organisations in London as opposed to the EU in Brussels they visited last year.

NEWS

A DANGER TO US ALL

EXCLUSIVE: The Shot-in-the-head, kick-in-the-ditch Vox party must be stopped, insists Picardo SPAIN’S hard-right Vox party is a serious threat to Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo has told the Olive Press.

Following the success of the party in last month’s general election, the chief minister equated the party to the Franco regime.

“What Vox represents is a shot in the back of the head and the kick into the ditch of the 1930s in Spain…. It is Franco’s party by another name,” he told this paper.

“I think this is the emergence of the of the rancid, hard right in Spain… it has now started this process of showing its face and has stopped masquerading as your friendly grandfather!”

He insisted a strong leftwing coalition was much needed now to overcome ‘the unfortunate brainwashing that has gone on for generations’ about Gibraltar.

“I think those on the left are more open to hear about our reality and not rely on prej-

CONCERN: Fabian was talking to the Olive Press

udices to make determinations about us and about our country,” he added.

Speaking at his office in No.6, Picardo told the Olive Press of his ‘huge relief’ of winning a third term in office.

However, he revealed he never took the October 17 result for granted.

December 4th - December 17th 2019

THREAT: Vox supporters take stand against Rock

“I’m one of those old fash- “The public know they can ioned politicians who doesn’t ask me or the Deputy Chief believe you can simply sit Minister any questions about back and wait for the results any aspect of Brexit, and we of opinion polls to become will know the answer and those of a general election. how Gibraltar is going to “I believe you owe the pub- deal with it.” lic the respect of going out to show what you have done Progressive and show exactly what it is you intend to do.”

Picardo also highlighted the In the end, the GSLP/Liber- need to be ‘realistic’ with hot al alliance took a resounding topics like abortion, which he 52% in the three party elec- supports. tion.

“We have many “I would like opinions, but we govern by to think the Ask me or the consent,” he electorate have Deputy Chief explained. seen that our “We have to prudent manMinister any deliver the proagement of Gibraltar’s diplo- questions about gressive agenda that we want to matic, financial Brexit deliver in a way and domestic that doesn’t affairs really then break our has been secsociety. ond to none,” he said on the “We have been progressives in victory. a society that has always deAnd internationally, particu- scribed itself as being conserlarly over Brexit, his party is vative with a small ‘c’. well clued up.

“That conservative society has

adopted our progressive agenda because of the way that we have ensured that we’ve respected everyone’s freedom and liberty, including the freedom and liberty of those who wish to disagree with us.”

It is this premise that is behind the idea of having a referendum in March on whether to legalise abortion.

“If you are progressive, like me, and you’re rebellious like me, you want to see these things happen,” he concluded.

“But if you are results-driven like me, then you also want to judge who the parties that do are, not just the parties that talk.

“There are others who are so progressive, that they would force things down the throats of those who disagree with them. I think that’s actually so progressive that it becomes unprogressive and anti-libertarian.”

He was of course alluding to new party Together Gibraltar, but his harshest rebuke was for the new enemies taking aim at the Rock from Madrid.

OP QUICK Crossword Across 1 Likenesses (6)

5 Unhealthy (6) 8 South-eastern American state (7) 9 From a distance (4) 10 Explosive weapon (4) 11 Control (8) 12 Ripped (4) 13 Sum charged (3) 14 Russian news service (4) 16 One-celled organisms (8) 20 Formerly Persia (4) 21 Before long (4) 22 Forbidden by law (7) 23 Carved image (6) 24 Astute (6)

OP Sudoku

4

Down 2 Member of the Mob (7) 3 Farewell (7) 4 Snow sportsperson (5) 5 Glitter (7) 6 Move slowly (5) 7 Smallest (5) 13 Prolific (7) 14 Set off (7) 15 Devour (7) 17 Take as one’s own (5) 18 Dogma (5) 19 Collection of maps (5)

All solutions are on page 22

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Grand restoration GRAND Battery has secured a much-needed facelift from the government to create a new tourist attraction.

The mammoth wall protecting Casemates was a key section of the Northern Defences together with the King’s and Queen’s Lines.

It comes after the GSLP/Liberals announced that the Northern Defences would be open to the public from next year.

The first phase of the works was the removal of a World War Two blast wall.

It exposed eighteenth century fire steps hidden behind it along the northern defensive wall, which will now be restored to their former glory.

Balustrades will be added along specific areas and any trees which are damaging the monument will be pruned or removed.

With the site being next to Casemates Square, it is expected that the site could be used to put on show some of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s artillery.

“I was delighted to visit the site and to be briefed on the ongoing works by the Project Manager Carl Viagas,” said Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia.

“This was an area that we have been tackling at the same time as works on the Northern Defences have progressed.

“It is a huge project which will see the restoration of the network of defensive structures that protected Gibraltar for centuries against a land attack from the north.”

DOGGONE! HE liked to boast of his huge charity prowess, his millions made and his ability to train any type of dog.

But most people who knew him will remember David ‘the Dogman’ Klein as a trickster, who got away with far too many scams.

The notorious Euro Weekly News columnist - who had his first brush with the law when he impersonated a police officer as a teenager - passed away last week allegedly embroiled in a €1 million-plus tax avoidance probe.

As the Olive Press reported in 2016 Klein, who also had a show on Talk Radio Europe, had been flogging dodgy international driving licences for decades.

But, even worse, it has since emerged he hadn’t been declaring the income to the Spanish tax authorities.

Now, in a remarkable beyondthe-grave tale, we can reveal how his daughter and son-inlaw reported him to Spain’s Hacienda earlier this year, ‘to make him pay for his evil ways’.

Based in the UK, they were horrified to discover that Klein had used a Spanish bank account in his daughter’s name to launder the money he made from the €450 Taiwan-made international driving permits.

“We denounced him to both the bank and the taxman, but the case has been going very slowly,” son-in-law Conway Standing,

December 4th - December 17th 2019

Danger mast

Allegations of million-euro tax scam go unanswered as infamous David ‘the Dogman’ Klein dies in Spain EXCLUSIVE

By Robert Firth

told the Olive Press, adding how frustrating it was that he had died before it was concluded.

“I wanted to publish it all when he was alive. What’s the point now that he’s dead,” he said.

The Derby-based businessman, 66, revealed earlier this year how the bank had been using ‘delaying tactics’ but that both it and Klein were facing severe penalties for it.

He added that he had a ‘detailed and highly itemised account of Klein’s undeclared offshore accounts and his undeclared income’.

He insisted: “Basically there is a tsunami of stress approaching Klein at an alarming pace.

“Klein is a hypocrite and obviously has scant regard for the law but that won’t stop him being apprehended.”

The astonishing claims were last night backed up by Costa del Sol motoring expert Brian Deller, who was helping Standing in the tax probe.

Deller, 82, who had previously been involved in a legal battle with Klein, after he hacked his website and redirected it to his own, said: “We are talking a million pounds at least. Money laundering. He really was a

crook.

Law expert Antonio Flores, of Lawbird, in Marbella, described the international permits as ‘a scam, a sham.’

“Driving permits are issued by government offices,” he said.

As for where the money went, according to Deller, it mostly went into his luxury lifestyle, that once included Rolls Royces and other luxury cars.

He also had a stunning villa in upmarket Guadalmina, where he lived with his long-suffering wife Susan, a grand piano and his dog nicknamed ‘black boy’.

The former dog trainer is no stranger to the criminal world, having first appeared in court at the age of 17 on charges of impersonating a police officer to con a female driver out of money.Reported in the Times, in 1954, he was convicted and fined 13 pounds.

He went on to have various other brushes with the law in the UK, before moving to Spain in the 1990s.

Klein died of pneumonia linked to cancer he had been suffering on November 29, in Malaga.

Opinion Page 6

5

DODGY: Klein (top) and the late trickster’s Rolls, while (below) his deeds in a 1954 Times article

ENVIRONMENTALISTS are demanding more information on the potential dangers of 5G before it is rolled out across the Rock.

The Environmental Safety Group (ESG) has called for the same ‘total transparency’ that was delivered by the government on 3G and 4G. “The announcement of 5G antenna applications for Gibraltar has come as a surprise,” it said.

“We have been expecting the release of information on safety reports and testing outcomes since the exposition held by Gibtelecom in the Piazza last summer.”

Concerns have been raised about the possible radiation of 5G after plans were submitted to the Development and Planning Commission for the new masts.

“The ESG is not opposed to progress or to being convinced of the safety of 5G,” the ESG revealed.

“However we do seek assurances based on independent research and hope this will be forthcoming.

“Until such time we will remain opposed to its introduction in Gibraltar.”

Border bros are positive

FABIAN Picardo has praised a ‘very positive’ meeting with the leader of the Campo de Gibraltar’s mayors’ association Juan Lozano.

Both the Chief Minister and his deputy Joseph Garcia talked with Lozano about Brexit, the border, waste disposal and other areas of common interest.

“Juan Lozano is somebody who I’ve known since before he took over them the Mancomunidad,” Picardo told the Olive Press.

“He’s a leading light in the PSOE Socialist Party in the Campo de Gibraltar.”

6

FEATURE

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 one million people a month.

OPINION

We want to be eco-friendly but…

By Heather Galloway in Madrid

AT the drop of a hat Madrid has managed to hustle together an alternative venue for the COP25 summit in record time.

And the result is pretty impressive.

Eager for the prestige, the capital put out a call for 2,000 volunteers to help set up the conference in a month when it usually takes two years.

And the army of eco-helpers are everywhere, handing out goody bags while ironically speaking about the need to consume less over Christmas.

“I’m very stressed about it what to do,” said Corina Popa from Romania. “My family is big on Christmas but I’m trying to make it more experience-based, giving things like massages.”

Naturally, sustainability has become a buzzword throughout the city with phases like ‘circular economy’ rolling easily off people’s tongues.

Yet, still the street outside Primark is mobbed and the traffic on the A6 makes it a daily death trap.

“People are lazy about not using their cars,” says volunteer Cristina Gomez. “There’s no excuse. We have a very good public transport system.”

Yes, indeed, except disgruntled workers at the Metro had not read the script and called a strike on only the second day of the summit. It meant the majority of COP25 delegates having to travel back to their hotels in taxis.

At least Greta got there by sail and rail!

Dog’s days are over DAVID Klein has been in the limelight for over 60 years. But not always for the right reasons.

The Euro Weekly News’s in-house canine columnist for 20 years first hit the headlines at the youthful age of 17, for impersonating a police officer.

And like any stray mutt, it seems you couldn’t teach ‘David the dogman’ new tricks. After leaving for Spain he moved on to pedalling dodgy driving licences to expats, in between hacking rivals’ websites. And in doing so accumulated a string of enemies along the Costa del Sol throughout the 90s and onwards. Notoriously, his dog-whistle scam-buster group ‘Costa del Sol Action Group,’ claimed to expose scams, while simultaneously marketing new ones.

However, he had to die before the most shocking revelation could come to earth: a multi-million tax fiddle.

What’s more eyebrow raising is that another less reputable newspaper gave dodgy David free reign on its pages to build a reputation for himself, which allowed him to get away scot free for so long.

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December 4th - December 17th 2019

The ‘Marques’, the ‘Minister’ and the trade union boss - just three of the 21 senior political figures who turned a billion euros aimed for unemployed Andalucian workers into a ‘reptile fund’ to pay for drugs, fast cars and prostitutes

Reptiles O

VER €25,000 per month on coless early retirement packages for locals caine, €400,000 for a fake chicken who had supposedly worked in the nearby farm and thousands on bottomless Alquife mine - despite them never having gin and tonics. set foot underground.

That’s just a few of the ways €680 million The truth is, almost no-one had. The tiny of embezzled Junta de Andalucia cash was village of 2,000 citizens had only a distillspent during the infamous ERE scandal beery and a cork extraction plant to rely on tween 2001 and 2009. for employment.

Expats and tourists to Spain may have But that was all to change, on paper at come across the term and perhaps heard least, when PSOE councillors Jose Rosenthe odd anecdote on its significance.

Unluckily for them, the businessmen re- do and Jose Sayago set up a fake network But few will understand its staggering corded the meetings and handed the tapes of companies listing dozens of local residepths of debauchery. over to Madrid’s Ministry of Employment, dents taking early retirement.

Dubbed the ‘reptile fund’ by those in the which sent them to the prosecutor’s office. In total, the group was paid around €60 know, this vast pool of money came from While the Junta’s then Employment Minis- million over five years to do nothing.

Madrid with the intention of stimulating ter Francisco Javier Guerrero brushed it off Regionally, the reptile fund handed out employment and aiding ailing companies. as merely a fund which ‘helped businesses money in a similar way to hundreds of busiBut, in reality, it was illegally syphoned off breathe’, Alaya realised there was some- nesses in hundreds of towns and villages. to pay off friends and key enemies of the thing much more sinister going on.

It included the formation of dozens of lanSocialist-run Junta, creating What quickly became clear guage schools, IT and marketing compawhat will now go down as was that chain-smoking nies and organic fruit and veg businesses. the biggest public money Like a capo from Guerrero was the man with Almost all fake. corruption case in Spanish the keys to the safe.

So brisk was the trade that a separate the mafia, he history.

Looking like a capo from the company was set up in Sevilla to furnish Let me explain. ERE stands he ruled the roost these ‘firms’ with computers, desks and filruled the roost mafia, for ‘Expediente de Reguwith energetic aplomb, ing cabinets… and even personnel, if none lacion de Empleo’, and is this now put down to his could be found locally on the day the inwith energetic a procedure which allows €25,000-a-month cocaine spectors came to visit. aplomb companies facing bankhabit, confirmed by his For that was the deal: you could get a fund ruptcy to fire workers and chauffeur in a sensational of up to €450,000 per firm, which would receive public funding to court testimony be delivered a few days underwrite severance and early retirement (more of which later). after an official inspection packages. Yes, you’ll have to read that He could make anything hapfrom the Junta.

Managed to again. pen, as long as you played by As the Olive Press reported Most of the payments were made off the his rules, voted Socialist and evade the long a few years ago, a truck books and without any form of public scru- made sure he got his generwould arrive with the nec- and in Spain’s essary number of desks tiny and, so far, 500 people have been ous kickbacks. probed since investigations began in 2010. He handed out cash from the computers a day becase slow - arm and Involving seven judges, the tentacles of the fund at will, and literally dozfore the inspection and scandal are buried so deep that the case ens of friends and neighbours then return a day later to of the law had to be broken into 146 different probes. benefited. pack them away.

Finally, last month, the highest-ranking for- They included pal Jose All you needed was a local mer officials finally faced justice.

Llorente, who received a sevoffice which, of course, They included ex-president Jose Antonio erance package from cork production com- was easy to find care of the local SocialGrinan, who was handed six years prison pany Aglomerados Morel - despite never ist-run town hall. for perjury and misuse of public funds. He having worked there.

The money would then be spent on varwas also barred from public office for 15 He later told investigators he thought the ious kickbacks to key personnel, family years. money arriving into his account was ‘a gift and friends. The vast majority, however, His successor, Manuel ‘Monolo’ Chaves, from God’. was usually squandered on home decorawas given a nine-year ban from public of- Another neighbour was ‘fired’ from a bogus tions, foreign holidays and fast cars, with fice for lying to protect his PSOE colleagues company that he never worked for, earning El Pedroso’s councillors opting for family during the trial. himself a €1,100 a month severance pack- holidays together in Greece and China, for They are just two of the so-far 21 ex-politi- age from 2003 until 2013. example. cians handed prison sentences and bans Deals were notoriously made by Guerrero from political life. And it has shocked Spain with a gin and tonic in hand at his favourite to the core.

Sevilla restaurant, Cabo Roche, and nearby drinking spot El Caramelo.

But it was in his hometown of El Pedroso, in the rolling Sierra Moreno hills north of It was Guerrero’s so-called ‘cocaine chauffeur’ who offered up the most detailed and Sevilla, where he was really loved. scandalous testimony.

The ERE scandal began when campaigning Driver Juan Trujillo admitted to judges how judge Mercedes Alaya launched a probe he spent at least €900,000 of public cash into irregularities in the municipal compaon cocaine, booze and ‘partying’ at brothny Mercasevilla. els with his boss.

It came after two former directors attempt- Playing the role of Robin Hood, he gar- He was known as ‘the Minister’ in his ed to bribe a pair of hotel owners, offering nered the nickname, ‘the Marques’ and hometown of Andujar, a tiny hamlet north them the concession for a hospitality train- showered residents with millions of euros. of Jaen best known for being an epicentre ing school for a cool €450,000.

The former mayor, he handed out count- for the recovery of the Iberian lynx.

Special report by Laurence Dollimore in Sevilla

The Minister

A judge’s hunch

The Marques

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CORRUPT: And now in prison (from far left) Employment Minister Francisco Guerrero, the ‘cocaine chauffeur’ Juan Trujillo and CGT union boss Juan Lanzas

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Thanks to over 1,200 links from global sites - including the BBC, Daily Mail and New York Post - we are getting many readers from around Europe and America.

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He admitted taking €1.4 million in public aid for business projects which never materialised.

The grants were given to front companies including Iniciativas Turisticas Sierra Morena and Logica Estrategica Empresarial de Trujillo Blanco.

One such business included an alleged chicken farm, for which he received €450,000.

And one of the sacked workers from these firms saw him give €122,468 to his mother.

As he awaits his sentence - for more are set to be handed down - Trujillo is back in Andujar with his wife.

“He is well groomed, as always,” one local told a national newspaper, “Like a minister, in fact, and that’s why we call him ‘the Minister.’”

The Union boss Another man yet to hear his fate is Juan Lanzas, a leading trade unionist who allegedly pocketed up to €13 million in commissions for admitting companies into the corrupt network.

His mother once boasted to locals in their hometown of Albanchez de Magina, in Jaen: “Mi hijo tiene dinero para asar una vaca,” (my son has enough money to roast a cow...essentially, he had money to burn).

And she wasn’t wrong, given this true socialist from the UGT union bought 16 properties with his loot and had €80,000 cash stashed inside a mattress.

Despite paying €450,000 to be released on bail in 2013, prosecutors are seeking an eight-year sentence in his upcoming trial.

Like any corruption case, there are those who have managed to evade the long - and in Spain’s case slow - arm of the law.

Missing money-man Eduardo Pascual Arxe (below), a former Catalan banker who helped commission the fraudulent EREs, fled to Africa in July 2015 and is yet to be found.

The slippery money man was once the president of Eurobank, which he fraudulently bankrupted and enriched himself to the tune of €12 million some 15 years ago.

That trial only began however, in the spring of 2015 and by that summer, Arxe had left for Burkina Faso.

Wanted for the bank collapse and his role in the ERE case, he set in motion an escape plan he had planned some years earlier.

Back in 2005, after investigations had begun, he married a Bolivian woman 25 years his senior.

He used his marriage to acquire Bolivian nationality and changed his name to Marcellino Jose Monasterios Arce.

He first fled to Guinea before settling in Burkina Faso, where he began cultivating medical marijuana.

Despite being arrested in the capital of Ouagadougou in 2017, an administration error in the extradition request from Spain’s National Court meant the Burkina Faso authorities had to let him go. They did say he would have to appear in front of a court every three days but, predictably, he vanished again and is now believed to be hiding in neighbouring Benin. Spanish police are said to be working on a new plan to have him brought back to face justice.

It’s just one of dozens of linked stories which have fed Spain’s column inches since the ERE story broke.

IRON LADY: Mercedes Alaya arrives at court with her trademark suitcase

OPINION Caged at last

I

t’s thanks to the unshakable determination of one woman that 19 Andalucian politicians were sentenced to a total of 86 years in prison for swindling the public out of millions of euros.

The iron lady of the Spanish justice system, judge Mercedes Alaya (above) has devoted almost a decade of her life to uncovering the gross corruption of the former PSOE leaders.

And it is she who should be remembered as the unsung heroine of the sorry ERE saga.

The €1billion-plus slush fund that paid for ex-employment minister Javier Guerrero’s cocaine-fuelled afternoons in brothels has been dubbed the ‘reptile fund’. And this 63-year-old alleged socialist can only be described as reptilian, seemingly unable to arrive or leave a single court hearing without a fag hanging from his mouth or gripped between his fingertips.

Hopefully his eight year jail sentence will give him ample time to reflect on why splurging money meant for laid off workers and the unemployed is a bad look for a politician meant to be on the people’s side.

THE COMMUNITY GROWS In further good news the Olive Press continues to grow around Spain - opening its FIFTH paper in Murcia and the Costa Blanca south.

It means our community footprint expands … and with it our network of local reporters and writers.

Supported by our genuine (not purchased) social media following we now have 22,100 Facebook followers and 7,250 Twitter fans.

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With our 1.5 million pages read a month, according to official Google Analytics data, even in the depths of the winter we are ranked at 13,000th globally.

THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU… The Olive Press is offering a special BLACK FRIDAY special month deal to anyone who wants to be seen by our million-plus visitors a month. For a special discounted price of just €350 euros a month we ! can ensure that you ALSO get seen by onth our 30,000 Social Media followers AND all m 250,000 print readers. Yes, if your business cannot grow from that deal, then good luck in 2020!

A country in crisis However for the PSOE, the recent sentencing could not have come at a worse time, fresh off the back of the fourth general election in four years which delivered the Socialists a very slim majority.

The party is in full damage control as it tries to negotiate an agreement with the Catalan separatists ERC. Its saving grace is that neither the leaders of the PSOE or the party itself (at least there is no proof) used any of the money to enrich themselves.

The same cannot be said for the infamous Gurtel case involving the conservative Partido Popular which saw millions spent illegally funding the party while its leaders splashed stolen cash on weddings, fast cars and luxury holidays.

But while the ERE architects may have been sharing the wealth to residents in a region often ignored by Madrid when it comes to investment and attention, it’s hard not to think what €1 billion could have achieved… and probably considerably more.

From the much-needed railway network along the Costa del Sol to the desperate lack of health services in inland regions or the poverty in Cadiz.

One can only hope that Spain, the youngest democracy in Europe, will leave such corruption in the past, and, at the risk of sounding patronising, grow up.

13,616

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The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

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- BREAKING: British man gunned down on Spain’s Costa del Sol (21,112) - Arrest made after two British holidaymakers were conned for thousands in timeshare scam on Spain’s Costa del Sol (14,804)

3 4 5

- Woman falls down burst sewer drain, roads closed and drivers rescued from vehicles as Spain’s Costa Blanca put on ORANGE alert following new gota fria (14,447)

- WATCH: Terrifying shootout ‘on the streets of Marbella’ goes viral… but is all what it seems? (14,410) - Spain’s Malaga swelters in winter heatwave (and it continues until Sunday (10,817)

Property

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Tip Top

Issue 35

December 2019

barca bound: Why Catalunya is worth a look in

THE BEST OF 2019

NEW WAVE: Spain’s architects have had a busy and creative year... see pg IV

BREMAINERS THE Brits may be leaving the EU but they are certainly remaining when it comes to Spain’s property market.

That’s what the latest figures from the country’s notaries suggest, with stubborn Brits continuing to dominate the foreign investment market in the first six months of 2019.

The positive figures come despite the ongoing economic uncertain-

British buyers aren’t going anywhere when it comes to property in Spain

ty driven by the UK’s imminent departure from the bloc.

In Andalucia, home to Malaga and the Costa del Sol, Brits made up 25% of foreign sales in the first half of this year (followed by the Swedish on 11%).

That market share soars to 53% in Murcia before dropping to a still rather healthy 19% in the Valencia region which includes Alicante

and the Costa Blanca.

While the Brits aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, the figures show there was a 3.2% drop in foreign purchases compared to the same period last year.

In total, foreign buyers bought 51,720 homes in the first six months of the year compared to 53,427 in the same period last year.

It’s the first annual decline after seven-and-a-half years of uninterrupted growth.

Valencia was the hottest market for foreign buyers, followed by Andalucia and Catalunya.

One increasing trend seen across the country is the surging French market.

French buyers made up 46% of the foreign market in Catalunya, 43% in Cantabria and a whopping 70% in Extremadura.

II

December 2019

A YEAR OF CHANGE

PROPERTY

Mark Stucklin

www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

While autumn sales figures are down, the last quarter should have picked up, writes Mark Stucklin Spanish home sales figures released for September 2019 show the market going through a period of weaker demand, though the figures also suggest the decline might be temporary.

Data from the Association of Spanish Notaries reveals that Spanish home sales declined heavily between May and August compared to the same months last year, but settled down in September with sales returning to the same level as before.

What might have caused the fall in sales?

The market is facing a variety of headwinds at present.

The most obvious cause of the decline in June and July was the introduction of a new mortgage law that held up

sales due to the confusion surrounding its implementation.

The figures from the notaries show declines narrowing over the summer, and disappearing in September. If that trend continues the market will be growing again in the last quarter.

The number of Spanish home sales inscribed in Spain’s Land Register in September for sales completed in the proceeding months was 34,493 excluding VPO subsidised housing sales, down 11% in a year.

That’s the second consecutive month of double-digit de-

clines in these figures, which lag notaries’ figures by a few months.

Declines should narrow and disappear over the next few months, following in the steps of the data from the notaries.

New home sales declined by 20% whilst resales were down by 9%, which fits the explanation of the new mortgage law holding up sales – mortgages can be trickier to arrange for new homes than existing homes with a track

record.

By region, sales were down in almost all areas of interest to foreign investors, with the exception of Murcia (+2%) and Valencia city (no change).

The 20% decline in Málaga province, home to the Costa del Sol, is noteworthy, as that is one of the most popular areas with foreign buyers, especially British buyers.

A decline in foreign demand will be part of this story.

Year to date the picture is less

negative, with sales down in just over half the selected regions led by the Canary islands, in particular Tenerife.

Sales were still slightly positive in Catalunya in the year to September.

But it’s possible sales in the region could be hit in the last quarter by the flare up in political tensions. www.spanishpropertyinsight. com

Talking taxes Director of Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers, Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt, discusses capital gains tax mitigation when selling property in Spain The following article has been summarised to avoid unnecessary tax technicalities. The quoted tax rates are subject to change from one year to the next. Seek professional legal advice on your matter – see disclaimer below.

CONGRATULATIONS, you have found a buyer for your Spanish property!

On selling property in Spain, you are liable for two taxes: plusvalia and capital gains tax (CGT, for short).

In this short article, we will focus on four strategies to mitigate a seller’s exposure to CGT; which range from completely negating it, to reducing it significantly. The first three strategies apply only to Spanish tax residents; the last one applies to both residents and non-residents alike.

Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers is a law firm specialized in conveyancing, taxation, inheritance and litigation. You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by completing our contact form or by telephone on (+34) 952 19 22 88.

Four strategies to mitigate a seller’s CGT liability

1. Absolute relief. All tax residents over 65-years-old are exempt from paying CGT on selling their main abode (vivienda habitual, in Spanish legal jargon).

2. Rollover relief. Any resident seller under 65-yearsold is exempt from paying CGT on selling their main home providing the following conditions are met: · Seller is under sixty-five year-old. · Seller is (tax) resident in Spain. · Dwelling must be his main home (main abode and must have dwelled in it permanently for the three previous years). It may be less than three years under exceptional circumstances i.e. job change, marriage or separation. · Sales proceeds reinvested in a new main home (in Spain or else in the EEA/EU, including the United Kingdom in a pre-Brexit world). Any sales proceeds not reinvested will be taxed apportioning them. · two-year deadline to reinvest the sales proceeds (on a new main home).

3. Pension annuities. This third tax relief is in addition to the above two main home tax reliefs. Applies to residents.

Any capital gains made by resident taxpayers over 65-years-old will go untaxed provided the following are met: · Sales proceeds reinvested in pension annuities. · Capped at €240,000. · Six-month deadline as from sale.

4. Traditional method. Your lawyer can offset from your CGT liability on selling, all expenses that went towards buying the property plus any refurbishment costs, provided you have VAT invoices to back them up. Applies to both residents and non-residents.

Lawyer’s fees (on buying).

Notary fees (on buying).

Land Registry fees (on buying).

Taxes (on buying).

All property-related improvements (not maintenance costs) i.e. glass curtains, refitted kitchen, roof retiling, wood flooring, A/C, house alarm etc.

Estate agent’s commission (on selling).

Lawyer’s fees (on selling).

PROPERTY Mah-grab

Out of control

A PROFESSOR at a top economics institute has slammed rent controls as an ineffective solution to certain Spanish cities’ affordable housing crisis.

Professor Miguel Angel Lopez said “It is not difficult to devise a more effective policy to reduce, and even eliminate, the amount of private rental housing than rent control.”

He added that rent freezes ultimately encourage landlords to sell properties or use them for other purposes.

His remarks come as left-wing Podemos, which has advocated rent controls, is on the brink of entering into government with the PSOE. Meanwhile those on the right of Spanish politics will be unimpressed by the professor’s lambasting of policies aimed at solving the housing crisis through increasing the supply of rental properties, which he called ‘a total disaster.’

Ups and downs

THE number of mortgages granted has increased significantly this year while house sales have stagnated.

The latest figures for September reveal that mortgage loans surged 10.2% compared to the same month in 2018.

This translates to 21,055 new mortgages, and follows the positive upward trend of August.

It comes after the new Real Estate Credit Law this summer saw declines in the number of new mortgages of up to 20%.

Meanwhile, house sales for the ninth month of 2019 stand at 42,538, a 0% change compared with last year’s figures.

AFTER the surprising news that Britons continue to dominate the Spanish property market (see pg 1), comes another revelation…

Morrocans are the second-biggest home buyers in Spain. And the amount they are spending is increasing

more than any other nation.

Buyers from the north African nation made 4,448 home purchases in the first six months of 2019, a 21% increase on the same period last year.

In Andalucia, Moroccan nationals residing in Spain accounted for one fifth of purchases, more than any other country.

Britons, meanwhile, still lead purchases in the autonomous com-

III

December 2019

Unruly renters

munity among foreigners not living in Spain full-time, making up a quarter of buyers.

It comes as the first six months of 2019 saw fewer northern Europeans snapping up second homes in Spain, while there was an increase in economic migrants from North Africa, which may explain the surge in Moroccan purchases.

Talk of the towns From flower pots to historic architecture, Andalucia’s planning prizes recognise the region’s finest

ANDALUCIA’S urban planning awards have been doled out to highlight those towns that most improve citizens’ lives.

Estepona took the ‘complete performance’ prize, for its ‘Garden of the Costa del Sol’ project, that has seen 120 streets remodelled.

The town, which is famed for its foliage, has regenerated 17 kilometres of roads and 50,000 square metres of public space.

A SHOCKING 61% of property administrators have been the victim of squatters, new statistics have revealed.

Meanwhile, one in three have had arguments with tourists, according to the report, ‘Illegal occupation and housing for tourist use’.

Of the administrators questioned, 76% complained about noise while 66% cited a lack of respect for the rules.

Despite unruly guests, 84% of holiday home owners said they prefer tourist lets to long-stays as they are more profitable, and 75% consider them safer.

Hygiene and vandalism were also highlighted as some of the biggest issues facing landlords, the report by insurer, Mutua de Propietarios, found.

A new leaf Old properties have been demolished to make way for new walkways, more trees have been planted and new green spaces created.

MOGUL: Haim Tsuff

AN ICONIC Spanish landmark which has lain empty for almost a decade has been snapped up at a bargain price by an Israeli oil tycoon.

Barcelona-based Haim Tsuff sealed the deal on the €47 million-valued former post office building at an auction in Sevilla.

The president of Isramco paid just €23.5 million for Malaga’s former Correos building, after he was the only bidder on the lot.

Sevilla was the other big winner, as the city was recognised for its transformation of two urban spaces.

The Andalucian capital has giv-

New host for the post

The building was seized by Malaga’s Provincial Council in 2016, after it was abandoned five years earlier.

Prior to its seizure the building was owned by the Junta de Andalucia, which owed the local authority €8.6 million in unpaid council tax.

The Israeli mogul’s plans for the building, located between the Alameda and Avenida Andalucia, are so far unknown.

en a new lease of life to Plaza de los Martires del Pueblo and Calle Maestro Juan Marin de Vargas.

The areas were previously busy thoroughfares for cars and had become swamped by careless parking and congestion.

Now the sites are a haven for tourists and locals alike thanks to the addition of street furniture, trees, open spaces and shaded awnings.

Another prize went to the Architecture and Urban Planning service of Malaga, which was set up in 1975.

The body oversees town plans and amendments to the Urban Planning Law of Andalucia for the province’s 64 municipalities.

Some of the work the group has been praised for includes its creation, in 38 municipalities, of heritage catalogues that seek to preserve historic architecture.

PLANS to build 1,900 new homes in Torrox have been re-visited after a 12-month wait.

A €28.4 million investment will fund 72 one, two and three-bedroom houses, the plans for which have been shelved since 2018.

Prices for a two-bedroom property at the site start at €216,000.

This urbanization, designed by Madrid’s BOD studio, is intended to be the centrepiece of the overall project.

Titled ‘Essense’, the sustainable development is focussed on outdoor living and will be marketed to the Northern European market.

Properties come complete with a health club, 12km of hiking trails, organic orchards and vineyards with a winery where residents can make their own wine.

Building work will resume in the new year, once damage sustained during the site’s closure is repaired.

IV

December 2019

PROPERTY

Spain has offered up some truly stunning homes in 2019

Home-ing their craft

IT’S been another fascinating year in the world of architecture.

Spain has, yet again, offe-

red up some inspired work when it comes to unique and trend-setting properties.

From quirky inland dwellings to minimalist mansions, eco-friendly masterpieces and the chicest of city apartments, Spain’s rich architectural tapestry makes it an exciting time to be an architect or interior designer in the country.

In our last Property Magazine of the year, we take a look back at some of the homes which impressed us most in 2019.

New wave THIS Catalunya home whose undulating Gaudi curves would have raised the eyebrows of the great architect himself set the bar for sustainable homes this year.

Villa Stgilat Aiguablava in Emporda was completed for a wealthy Swiss family who wanted a modern property which adapts to its environment.

Crafted by Enric Ruiz-Geli and his Cloud 9 studio, the home features a main house, adjacent pavilion and incredible swimming pool.

Advanced fiberglass engineering was used to form the enormous sweeping Catalan vault stretching across the main residence interior, a feature echoing the view outward.

The structure and materials recreate the properties of a natural cave to keep things cool during hot summers and cosy during the winter, while their porosity keeps the air inside fresh, making for a highly energy efficient home.

Meanwhile, outside the preexisting community of pine trees are complemented by an integrated native foliage, filtered rainwater swimming pool and adjoining wild native plant garden.

PROPERTY

V

December 2019

Bare minimal WHEN it comes to minimalism, look no further than the established Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.

This new Valencia city apartment by the local firm oozes cool with blocks of grey and white while offering stunning views of the regional capital.

The storage is so hidden you would be forgiven for thinking no one lived in the property, with bookshelves, cupboards and fridges hidden behind panelled walls.

Pure theatre THIS curtain-raising design transformed a 19th-century Barcelona theatre into a stylish contemporary home guaranteed to get rave reviews from buyers.

Aged brick walls and ceiling beams set the scene, hinting at the dramatic history of The Theatre House a short walk from iconic Avinguda Diagonal, one of the city’s main thoroughfares offering ‘best seats in the house’.

Barcelona studio Cadaval & Sola-Morales are the whodunnits taking curtain calls for this theatrical thriller, which has seen the playhouse transformed into two individual work studios with lofty living space.

“The project aims to recover and capitalise on the constructive values of the old theatre, expose its tectonic essences and exploit the amplitude that gives great height to its large diaphanous central space,” explained architect Eduardo Cadaval.

The studios flank an indoor car parking space, allowing the owner to display a classic car ‘like a sculpture.’

“It’s a piece of art in direct relationship with the central space of the house,” he added.

Zero carbs JUMPING on the low-carbon bandwagon, this impressive home in Barcelona makes the best use of its space.

Designed by local Right Size Architecture, the home’s sundrenched patio to the southeast creates a microclimate which gives constant warmth to the rooms.

Named RA House, the property is divided into two ‘night’ and ‘day’ areas, with both parts connected

by a small hallway.

Its sustainability factor is boosted by its wooden structure and frames and

airtightness (hence the small windows), which creates a low energy demand.

PROPERTY

VI

December 2019

Back to basics Spanish architect Jesus Perales really went au natural with Casa Almudena in the north of Spain.

Showing off the construction’s lines and structure, the bricks also enhance its look.

Created for a family in Catalunya, who love to spend as much time together as possible, the home is designed around a series of continuous paths which cross each other via a central axis in the form of a glazed indoor courtyard.

“The shape allows a house with circularity and links the different parts of the living,’ explains Perales.“It doesn’t matter if you are cooking dinner while the kids are doing homework: you always have the feeling of being with your family.”

The home, which additionally shows off its exposed concrete beams, sits near the village of Banyeres del Penedes among the region’s famous vineyards.

It also opts for large windows which allows for heaps of natural light.

Cabin fever AS locations go it doesn’t get much better.

High in the hills above Ibiza’s sleepy village of Es Cubells, this extension of a millionaire’s palatial villa needed to fit into the landscape and create impact.

The Cabana, as it is christened, acts as ‘a refuge for the owner and his guests looking for a more primordial experience’.

Created by Atelier LAVIT, an architectural and design practice, based in Paris, the room faces south, overlooking a valley and the sea, while the roof and walls have been designed to give

the outdoor spaces 24/7 shade.

Meanwhile, the carefully stacked wooden screens on top of the hut guarantee the privacy of its occupants, as well as sheltering them from the sun and wind.

Inside, the design is simple, with the bathroom and dressing room separated from the bedroom.

The project was largely prefabricated in a wood workshop in the south of France before being shipped onto the island.

All the parts were numbered, dismantled and rebuilt on site within just three weeks.

History, adventure and romance.

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A year of Culture

Bring hearts, minds and souls

A

ll about

C

An Olive Press Special pullout

hristmas in

Gibraltar

Christmas bonanza

Picture by Geoff Scott Simpson

Enjoy Xmas on the Rock with a festive walk through town, writes John Culatto

THERE is a festive charm in the air at the moment on the Rock of Gibraltar.

It all starts the moment you walk into this unique outcrop of Britishness and start seeing the familiar signs.

The red telephone boxes and postboxes are everywhere and Bobbies are on the beat too.

But this time around, you can feel the magic of Christmas take you to a happier place.

Thanks to an amazing partnership between the government and local companies Gibraltar is livelier than ever this December.

It all starts in Ocean Village, just across

Continues on Page 24

Rock solid The Fit 4 Life Clinic is situated just off the centre of the Main Street in Gibraltar at 25, City Mill Lane.

The modern rooms are furnished with all the latest equipment and are designed for total comfort and feeling of well being, promoting a relaxed and welcoming environment, with its friendly staff providing the best customer care.

The first of its kind in Gibraltar to integrate conventional medicine with holistic therapies under one roof it leads the way in weight loss and nutrition becoming the most advanced slimming clinic in Gibraltar. It aims to delay the aging process by focusing on preventative medicine offering a better quality of life for longer.

The Centre promises to deliver excellence in every field with its team of highly skilled professionals by collaborating and networking with various clinics and hospitals in Spain to be able to offer the best quality health care for its patients.

Our services include: PODIATRY INJURY PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES HOLISTIC MASSAGE EMOTIONAL WELLBEING DIETETIC SERVICES DNA TESTING GENETIC TESTING FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE RECONSTRUCTIVE AND AESTETIC PLASTIC SURGERY BEAUTY LASER HAIR REMOVAL ANTI AGING TREATMENTS www.fit4life.gi / 0035020040563 Opening Times: 8.30am-800pm Monday to Friday

From Page 15

the frontier where the electric blue lights shine and music plays all day into the evening.

Even the hardest hearts are softened by the Christmas carols and festive hits emitted from hidden speakers in the evenings.

It is the perfect atmosphere for a walk around Ocean Village as you explore the bars and restaurants, in this amazing getaway from the real world.

Floating over water amongst the boats are some great hang outs like The Yard, which offers up great pub fare with a view across the Marina.

Then step aboard one of the only floating five star hotels in Europe.

The Sunborn reflects the festive fun, with the casino a big hit for

A

entertainment and its bars, the perfect place to grab a cocktail.

And when you want to just chill, there’s The Sunborn’s sky restaurant five stories up with a beautiful view of the winter bonanza.

From Ocean Village you can walk across the road to the historic Casemates Square where the spirit of Father Christmas prevails.

It might be hard to imagine what it was like back in the day when this was one of the key bays in the Roman Empire.

This key fishing port in one of the far reaches of Roman influence is still a catchment area for people today.

With the ruins in the middle of it reflecting this history, it now has a busy, bustling vibe.

The square’s fish and chip shops are a must, but there is more adventurous cuisine just around the corner, all within easy walk-

ll about

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hristmas in

Gibraltar

17 December 4th - December 17th 2019

SpanishBritish Christmas

THE staff at Eroski Gibraltar are gearing up for Christmas and celebrating the supermarket’s seventh year on the Rock.

ing distance.

Then, for a spot of Christmas shopping follow cobblestoned Main Street to electronics shop

Kaycee, where you can pick up everything from TVs and PA systems to toasters, kettles and cameras.

The locally-owned retailer is pulling out all the stops this year, as it stocks ‘the best of both worlds’ from Spain and the UK. Waitrose mince pies and Christmas puddings are among the British festive favourites being stocked, while from across the frontier there is turron, polvorones, jamon serrano and more.

And just in time for Christmas, Gibraltar will welcome its third Eroski store, which opens at Midtown on December 18.

This new venture will be an Eroski City branch, like the one off Main Street.

Eroski is used to expanding, having already extended its Winston Churchill Avenue store on three occasions.

Eroski’s competitive prices, which are matched against British and Spanish supermarkets, ensure that its customers keep coming back again and again.

Gibraltar’s supermarket of choice will continue going from strength to strength in 2020, so get down there soon to visit its friendly team.

Its Winston Churchill Avenue store is open from 8am-10pm seven days a week.

The Main Street branch is open from 8am-9pm Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 9pm on Sundays.

A From Page 17

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This historic shop has been a feature of Main Street life for many years and you will not believe the range of domestic appliances and gadgetry it has in stock.

With the Christmas lights coming on around 6pm, new colours are cast on the colonial architecture, mixed with Mediterranean balconies and shutters.

The street is a far cry from what it was before, smartened and beautified, with help from the government.

A gentle slope takes you to the Piazza, the heart of town where

hristmas in

Gibraltar

Parliament is located.

Maleras is only a short walk to the central Catholic cathedral where you will find some breathtaking creations which make great Christmas gifts.

Track back to the Piazza and go uphill on to City Mill Lane, all decorated in sparkling lights to remind you of this traditional season.

At the corner you will see Fit 4 Life, a great stop for a selection of osteopathic and massages that will treat all your aches and

Win for gin The Yard in Ocean Village Gibraltar is gearing up for a busy Christmas with the launch of its exclusive 12 Gins of Christmas range, featuring twelve unique flavours ranging from Candy Cane to Christmas Pudding!

With more than 150 Gins on offer you are sure to find one you like – if you find yourself stuck choosing one, why not try one of their new Gin Flight boards which contain four Gins of your choice?

If Gin isn’t your thing, they also offer a range or specially imported Craft Beers, including Brewdog Punk IPA on tap, plus a selection of cocktails.

Set in the heart of Ocean Village and open 7 days a week from 9am to late, The Yard has quickly become the place to visit in Gibraltar for a drink or meal with friends in a unique relaxed environment.

pains.

Finally, walk back out of Gibraltar via the quaint, narrow Irish Town, also well decorated for the season.

Here you will be able to buy fashionable sports clothing at In Motion or even handy British made tools at the BIA. All in all, expect more from the Rock this Christmas, so don’t hesitate to visit at the earliest opportunity for great products at duty-free prices!

LA CULTURA

19

December 4th - December 17th 2019

what’s on

Flamenco Ron’s last dance in London A PIONEERING dancer who was the life and soul of 60s London’s Flamenco scene has died at the age of 94.

Ron Hitchins, known as ‘El Chino’ and ‘The Flash’ by friends in London, was known for his dancing skills and out-

landish T-shirt designs that he sold in the East End. The Pena Flamenco de Londres dance troupe described him as the ‘life and spirit of the London flamenco scene’ and ‘a friend of flamenco all over the world.’

It added that he ‘will forever be in our hearts.’ Hitchens was well known among Andalucians and Gibralterians living in the capital and was regularly spotted at Soho’s legendary Casa Pepe restaurant.

Cheap paintings

Franco effect

‘Cultural revolution’

VISITORS to the Valley of the Fallen have plummeted by over 50% since the exhumation of former dictator Francisco Franco.

There were 55% less visitors to the Catholic basilica in November 2019, compared to the same month in 2018.

CULTURAL awards to be held on December 4 will crown a year of developing Gibraltar’s identity.

The event at the Sunborn Hotel will unfurl a red carpet for those who have contributed to ‘community identity.’

It follows the success of the Festival of Lights and Winter Party which were held in the run-up

Exhumation

14,421 people took a trip to the monument in the eleventh month of the year, compared to 31,951 in November 2018, according to figures from the Patrimonio Nacional.

Franco’s remains were moved from the valley to Madrid’s El Pardo-Mingorrubio cemetery on October 24, following years of wrangling over the exhumation.

Jazz it up LEGENDARY saxophone player Stefano Di Battista is headlining this December’s international jazz festival on the Rock.

Di Battista will be performing with his very own quartet and supported by local band Levanter Breeze and Surianne Dalmedo.

The Italian, described ‘one of the greatest musicians in Europe’, will take part in the main concert at St Michael’s Cave on December 7.

CEO of Cultural Services reveals mega-plan to raise community profile to Christmas.

“We’ve done a great work in trying to create an event-led tourism focus,” CEO of Cultural Services, Seamus Byrne told the Olive Press.

The night before, The Jamba Brass Band will play for free at Chatham Counterguard.

A marching jazz band will warm up the town with its tunes from 4.30pm be followed by local band The Street Dogs.

ANANYA featuring NY-GEE will then play at the square behind Casemates sandwiched by two Blues DJ sets by No Limits Entertainment.

Tickets for the event organised

by The Ministry of Culture are available via the online portal www.buytickets.gi.

“Most importantly for me, is the role we embarked on a year ago, to enhance our cultural fabric through cultural development.”

Part of this vision was the first-ever cultural development

officer, Davina Barbara, appointed to lead on cultural and educational programmes.

“The cultural awards itself are celebrating and obviously, rewarding, everybody who does great work in the community, for the arts, and for culture in general,” revealed Byrne.

“We will have a massive red carpet event with a wide range of categories rewarding what people do as cultural ambassadors.”

After the winter programme of events will come the spring festival, which will take a lot of work and commitment from the team.

“The future looks bright,” he concluded. “With Minister Cortes we will create the cultural revolution that is required, to be able to take Gibraltar to another level.”

This ‘revolution’ will include the expansion of the John Mackintosh Hall theatre to include a 1,000 seat national theatre over one and a half years.

PICK up some of the most creative gifts at the Affordable Art Christmas Exhibition in the Fine Art Gallery at Casemates Square from December 4 to January 17.

Flower power CHECK out some of the most beautiful arrangements at the Christmas Flower Show on December 5 at the John Mackintosh Hall organised by the Gibraltar Horticultural Society.

Painted seas EXPLORE the beauty of the sea around Gibraltar in an art exhibition by Tamara Shaw at the Bacarisas Gallery in Casemates Square from December 9-19.

Woof woof GIVE generously to help former stray dogs and cats in the area on December 13 at the Lobby of Parliament with the Animals in Need Foundation..

20

December 4th - December 17th 2019

Boost for Barca SPECIALIST British student accommodation provider Vita Student has chosen Spain for its first foray into the international market.

The London-based company is set to spend €30 million on building a new halls of residence in Barcelona’s Pija area.

The City Council has given the green light for the firm to transform a 7,000 square metre old educational building into a block of 320 apartments.

For €1,000 a month, students at the ultra-modern accommodation will also have access to an on-site pool and gym.

The business, which was set up in 2013 by Manchester-born Mark Scott, already has 20 housing blocks in cities across the UK, including Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.

Vita Student offers students and teaching staff access to personal growth experts and mentoring sessions with owners of large companies to boost their employability.

“We are specialists in giving our residents an experience of education and personal growth,” said Ken Knott, director at Vita Students.

BUSINESS

Adios to Spanish rail French and Italian train companies snap up contracts to run cheaper and more regular services between major Spanish cities from December 2020 as local firms overlooked SPANISH rail officials have snubbed homegrown firms and awarded French and Italian businesses contracts to run services on Spain’s highspeed train network from December next year.

Adif, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager, dished out contracts to France’s public railway company SNCF and Italy’s Trenitalia in the meeting last week.

Spain’s public train company kept its contract for the busiest route, which will see it operating 48 trains a day.

But other Spanish companies which were hoping for a slice of the mainland’s railway network walked away empty handed.

The Motion Rail Consortium which is made up of two Spanish firms, Talgo and Globalia as well as private equity providers Trilantic Europe and Andalucian Eco Rail failed in their bids to run train services.

As part of its contract Renfe will launch a low cost highspeed train between Madrid and Barcelona from April

Thumbs up!

THE new minister for tourism and local business has been described as ‘lightning in a bottle’ by Fabian Picardo.

As one of the least known faces to jump into a Cabinet position in recent years, Vijay Darjanani has

next year, with tickets available to purchase from January.

Trains between Spain’s two main cities currently cost €52 on average. The new low-cost service will offer discounts of 40%.

Spanish train bosses say the entry of new operators into the train network will create 66 extra journeys a day across the railway network.

There will be 61 trains between Madrid, Cordoba, Malaga and Sevilla, a 75% increase from the current 35.

There will also be cheaper tickets on both the Madrid

already started to prove his doubters wrong.

“I think Vijay Darjanani has burst into the Gibraltar political stage with an energy, enthusiasm and knack for politics that has surprised everyone who didn’t know him,” Chief Minister Picardo told the Olive Press.

“I knew that this was the way that he was going to be able to manage things.”

to Barcelona line and Sevilla to Valencia connection.

Renfe, SNCF and Trenitalia emerged as winners because they were the only three firms bidding on the lines who already owned their own highspeed trains.

The other competitors would have had to rent or buy their trains, making it difficult for them to operate them with sufficient frequency.

Darjanani has also got the stamp of approval from the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses in his first month in office.

Brexit “The business community has been delighted by the way that he has really come out to ensure that we provide the best en-

Divide and conquer SPAIN’S Telefonica has announced an ambitious assets reshuffle in a bid to find an extra €2 billion a year by 2022.

The struggling telecoms giant said an ‘operational spin-off’ of its South American business would allow it to focus on the key markets of Spain, the UK, Brazil and Germany.

After seeing its value plunge 9% earlier this year, the company is relying on its new Telefonica Tech branch, which deals with computing and cybersecurity, to bring in the required cash. vironment as we head towards Brexit,” confirmed Picardo.

“I really think that we’ve got a man in Vijay who is going to give a hell of a lot for Gibraltar.

“From what I’ve seen up to now, he is absolutely political lightning in a bottle.”

Managing your money

It’s tougher saving than spending but you’ll be investing in your future, writes Jonathan Holdaway

S

O you’ve started budgeting your Having money in a savings account will help money, you’re building credit and you cover the little things, like your emeryou’re spending less than you earn. gency fund or a new computer. But your Now comes the tricky part: saving real, long-term savings are going toward for the future which, for a lot of people, can something far more important: retirement. be even more daunting.

One day you’ll want to stop working, and Far too many people find excuses to put you’ll need a big chunk of savings to keep this off, perhaps because it seems too far you going in your golden years. A modest away to matter, or it feels impossible and savings account isn’t the best way to do overwhelming. However, the consequen- this, and this is where more sophisticated ces of not paying attention to this from an and structured investments will come in to early stage can be far-reaching. play.

The earlier you start saving, If you can allocate a portion of the better off you’ll be later on savings into some fairly simin life. Not only that, you’ll also You’ll need a big ple, low-risk investments, it spend less effort trying to get make money for you while chunk of savings will there later. you sleep. Over the course of Remember those sections in to keep you going years and decades, that can your budget discussed last up to an awful lot. in your golden add issue called Savings and InLong-term investments can come in part from your emvestments? years Start trying to make sure ployer. Many companies offer you’re adding to these as a pension plans that you can matter of habit. If your employer uses di- fund with money deducted from your pay rect deposit and your monthly salary goes before taxes. In some cases, employers will directly to your bank account (which tends also match some, or all, of what you conto be the case for most of us), you can ask tribute which means you’re literally getting for different portions of your pay to be sent free money just for having an investment to multiple accounts. You can use these to account with them. send money to a separate savings account Company pensions are by no means riskthat you don’t have a debit card for, or that’s free however, and the rapidly increasing not easy to transfer to your current account. pensions deficit in countries like the US, UK, Note - the money you never have access to France and Germany unfortunately means is the easiest to save. many final salary schemes are no longer

available to new employees. This means more and more people are turning to private pension schemes to help fund their retirement.

Investing doesn’t have to be complicated, either - it doesn’t mean picking winning stocks or timing the market. If you’re just starting out and don’t yet have the knowledge or market understanding, you can even use an online service to do it all automatically for you. These can guide you through the process of setting up an investment plan based on your age, goals and risk preferences and will then automatically pick which companies or industries to invest in.

If you prefer a more personal touch when discussing financial priorities, then you are best consulting a professional advisor, who should be able to find the investment product that is best suited to your specific needs. But be sure to do your research carefully. Ensure the firm advising you is fully licensed and legally able to operate wherever you might be living. Holding the correct regulatory license – MiFID is best, particularly post-Brexit - not only means a company can provide truly unbiased advice and should have access to a much wider range of products and providers; but also that they will outline their fees and other char-

ges before you part with a penny.

More importantly, by working with a properly licensed advisory firm you have the additional peace of mind that they can be held accountable for their initial advice and any ongoing services they provide.

Getting started with long-term investments will often be one of the hardest parts of your financial life because, when you’re just starting out, you don’t have much money.

It is important that you re-examine your investments every time you get a raise or a new job that pays you more.

When you make more money, it will of course be tempting to upgrade your life with a new car or apartment to match your new budget.

This is known as ‘Lifestyle Inflation’, and while it’s okay to move up, the smartest among us will make investment priority number one, reaching financial independence that little bit sooner.

Please note, the above does not constitute specific advice or recommendations for your own circumstances and is intended as a guide only. Always seek professional assistance where required.

For a free no obligation review please contact me either by email or phone.

Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7. 29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226

Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303/+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.

22

COLUMNISTS Lost for words

December 4th - December 17th 2019

MY language-learning journey didn’t start in Spain but some 1,200 miles away in the rain-battered classrooms of Rochdale and Oldham.

For some reason, pupils at my secondary school

(think Grange Hill on steroids) were forced to take German or French. So from Year 7 I was grappling with the ‘language of love’ in a classroom where no love was lost - dodging flying chairs

and stationary, ploughing through battered textbooks that doubled as goal posts for football practice and dictionaries covered in the kind of graffiti that created dividing lines between

Gangsta’s Paradise After a British man was shot dead in his car, Giles Brown calls for an end to Marbella’s ceaseless gangland killings

ANOTHER week in Marbella, another gangland slaying.

The latest was Peter Andrew Williamson, gunned down in a professional hit as he sat in his Audi outside his house.

The killing came less than a week after a man described as ‘Arabic’ was shot and killed and another seriously wounded at their apartment, less than 15 minutes’ drive from the latest shooting.When you consider that 2019 also saw the murder of Puerto Banus personality Marco Yaquot, gunned down outside his villa in San Pedro, as well as the discovery of bodies close to the Istan Road as well as on the main A-7, you begin to get more than a little concerned about the direction that Marbella seems to be heading in.

Police are looking at the killings as a ‘settling of scores’ between drug gangs.Those of a cynical disposition could argue that means the case is pretty much

closed.There has been little in the way of leads in the Yaquot case, or the drug dealer machine gunned in his garage in Sierra Blanca the year before that, or the Spanish gym and beach bar owner who was shot by a gunman on the back of a motorcycle as he parked his car at his daughter’s communion.

In the past two decades Marbella has changed beyond all recognition as the town has gained a reputation as party central for both wannabe bad boys (and girls) and serious criminals.

You only have to see the number of powerful luxury cars driven by guys who look like they are filming a rap video to get the sneaky suspicion that perhaps they didn’t all get their money from prudent saving schemes or a private equity venture.

For better or worse, Puerto Banus seems to have embraced the ‘flash the cash’ culture, and the Port has seen the arrest of

several wanted criminals on a bit of down time, seemingly thinking they are untouchable in Marbs.You could argue that Marbella has always been a sunny place for shady people, going all the way back to London crime figures Freddie Foreman and Charlie Wilson in the 80s. But these latest slayings seem to be something different altogether.While Marbella tries to entice the super wealthy with its gastronomy, climate and lifestyle, and the police are seemingly stretched in keeping tabs on the drug smuggling free for all that is the Campo de Gibraltar, perhaps a settling of scores doesn’t rate very highly.

But if the ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ attitude continues, where ‘what happens in Marbs, stays in Marbs’ can include disappearances and killings, then Marbella needs to take a long, hard look at the problem before it spirals any further out of control.

friends. the two words I knew, By the time Spanish hola and gracias (sehit the school, I had riously), to hundreds already scraped a C of sentences and poin GCSE French and tential conversations. I vowed never to learn a also explored the apps language again.

But six years later, I walked out of Malaga Airport, having booked a one-way ticket from Manchester to come and work for the Olive Press. And as I stood, sweating in a ridiculous parka coat – which I later realised you do need on the Costa del Sol – it was clear a bit of Spanish would probably Memrise and Duolingo come in handy. to varying levels of sucFirst there was the bus cess but managed to ticket office to negoti- pick up a lot over severate – handing over eu- al months. ros with pleading eyes I thought everything only gets you had finally so far. Then clicked when there was the I triumphantLet’s just grumpy driver, ly finished a say our first later on Mer- meeting could phone call cadona, later (entirely in have gone still the really Spanish) with better... exciting bit: a cafe-owner the Spanish who charged bar. her customers On the advice of a mate for ice (Cent-imental, pg back home, I immedi- 40, Issue 326) - only to ately got stuck into the be asked by our AndaluCoffee Break Spanish cian graphic designer: podcast. Its 20-minute “Why are you speaking segments took me from Mexican?”

Nor was I getting anywhere with my neighbours – three elderly Andalucian women, one part-deaf, one extremely rude (though one of them seems nice).

After trawling the web for local clases de español – some of which charge €40 an hour – I came across Millinguals in Estepona whose website offers Spanish classes and ‘an intensive Andalusian experience’.

It immediately conjured up visions of my three abuela neighbours hurling gazpacho at each other. But the price was good so, cold soup-slinging aside, off I went to meet Carola, potentially my new teacher.

Let’s just say our first meeting could have gone better...

I don’t know what ‘Oh my God I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I just accidentally caught the cable from your wireless router around my chair leg and pulled it off the wall and smashed it’ is in Spanish. Maybe she’ll tell me next time...

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Images, 5 Sickly, 8 Florida, 9 Afar, 10 Bomb, 11 Regulate, 12 Tore, 13 Fee, 14 TASS, 16 Bacteria, 20 Iran, 21 Soon, 22 Illegal, 23 Statue, 24 Shrewd.

Down: 2 Mafioso, 3 Goodbye, 4 Skier, 5 Spangle, 6 Crawl, 7 Least, 13 Fertile, 14 Trigger, 15 Swallow, 17 Adopt, 18 Tenet, 19 Atlas.

SUDOKU

Charlie Smith

In a new monthly column on the trials of learning Spanish, Charlie Smith (a French speaker from ‘up north’) makes a lasting impression on his first profesora

SPORT

23

December 4th - December 17th 2019

Big up Gib

Nadal’s Spain overturn Great Britain and Canada to clinch sixth Davis Cup title in Madrid

LITTLE Gibraltar has been given the recognition of the UK in gymnastics.

Two groups and one individual qualified for the British National Championships, in which two bronze medals were won and a fifth was attained overall in the group ranking and an eighth for individuals at British National Championships.

One group was selected for GBR National squad, and another for GBR Aspire squad, having now finished the league with a win and the final ranking for 2019 as second overall in Great Britain.

s-256x170-CAR-4.indd 1

Get stuffed SPAIN’S returning football manager has slammed his predecessor after sacking him for ‘disloyalty’.

After taking up Spain’s top footie job for a second time Luis Enrique said he ‘did not’ want Robert Moreno again as his number two.

Enrique cited Moreno’s proposal to manage the national team until after Euro 2020, and then work as the new manager’s assistant.

“I do not want anyone like that on my staff,” said Enrique, who confirmed he had ‘rejected’ Moreno’s ‘ambition’.

Moreno took the helm temporarily in March, after Enrique’s daughter Xana became ill with bone cancer and then died in August.

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IN SAFE HANDS Our roadside assistance experts can usually fix your bike at the roadside, allowing you to continue with your onward journey as soon as possible. And if you’ve simply ran out of fuel, then they can tow you to the nearest garage, simply let our customer service staff know of the situation when you call.

TRAVEL ASSISTANCE Motorcycle insurance form Línea Directa starts from just €77 and comes with two types of additional breakdown cover: Urban Travel Assistance or Total Travel Assistance. Both include emergency repairs

on-site, free towing service and transport of rider and passenger to either their home address or destination. For more information, simply call our English speaking hotline on 902 325 325 and we’ll come to your rescue.

Our breakdown assistance covers motorbikes, scooters, mopeds and all types of powered two wheelers. Wherever your two wheels take you, Línea Directa has you covered.

TM

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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 * Fu l l y co m p re h e n s i ve o f fe r v a l i d fo r n e w c u s to m e r s o n l y. G u a ra n te e s u b j e c t to cove r, re p a i r a t a p p rove d g a ra g e, a n d co u r te s y ve h i c l e av a i l a b i l i t y. S u b j e c t to co n d i t i o n s. O f fe r e n d s 3 0 / 1 1 / 1 8 .

2/8/18 17:01

TWO of Spain’s sporting heroes, Rafael Nadal and Roberto Bautista Agut, have overturned Canada to win the Davis Cup on home soil.

Around 12,500 tennis fans packed into Madrid’s Caja Magica arena to witness the country’s sixth title in the competition.

Nadal’s emotional victory over Denis Shapovalov, 6-3, 7-6, saw Spain clinch its first Davis Cup since 2011.

The 33-year-old made it 2-0 against the Canadians, after Bautista Agut, 31, had put the Spaniards 1-0 up against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Bautista Agut’s 7-6 (3), 6-3

Hit home victory in an hour and 49 minutes was made even more remarkable, given that his father had died three days earlier.

"When you have this moment it is difficult to describe with words - so many feelings, so many emotions you have never felt," said Spain captain Sergi Bruguera.

He added: "Unbelievable.

Imagine Roberto yesterday was at the funeral of his father, now he is here giving everything - the mentality, the spirit, giving everything for his team.

"Rafa, he is out of this world, I don't know if he is an alien or what. Not one day we went to sleep before 3am this

week."

Spain progressed to the finals after knocking out a Great Britain side left without Andy Murray due to injury.

Rafael Nadal and Feliciano Lopez beat Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski 7-6 (73) 7-6 (10-8) to set up a final against Canada, after the semifinal score had stood at 1-1.

The

OLIVE PRESS

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GIBRALTAR

Vol. 5, Issue 111 www.theolivepress.es December 4th - December 17th 2019

FINAL FINAL WORDS WORDS

RADICAL feminists staged a topless protest against a far-right march in Madrid, which was marking 44 years since the death of ex-dictator Francisco Franco.

A BRITISH Airways flight to Gibraltar was forced to land in Malaga after the plane was struck by lightning.

Rotten apple THE only plane route connecting the USA to Andalucia will be stopped next year after a 11-year run.

TREE FELLING TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL Tel: 622 932 049 Tel: 622 304 104 rockscampogardens@gmail.com

Queen of the skies

Bare breasts

Flash in the sky

The Rock’s only free local paper

RAF numbers are unlikely to be cut down any further as commander vows to leave unit in better shape

Soy Boris

AS Boris Johnson talks tough on terrorism and attacks Labour rival Jeremy Corbyn, he has been embarrassed by a Spanish comedian.

The Conservative leader was impersonated by Spanish star Joaquin Reyes, 45, whose previous characters have included Donald Trump and General Franco.

Speaking as Johnson he said: “Europe, you are going to shit, because when we leave I will reinforce the borders, I will throw all the Europeans out, and I’m going to close the airspace so that Mary Poppins won’t be able to fly.”

THE RAF base in Gibraltar is ready to help out in any UK military operation despite seeing its numbers drop.

It comes after the station commander told the Olive Press how there are now only 15 members of the Air Force stationed on the Rock, out of a total staff of 45.

Wing Commander Nel Doherty said: “We are very well estab-

lished as a forward mounting base in support of the UK Government should they wish to to deploy personnel or should we become useful to any operations.

“A military operation can cover an incredibly wide range of operations from surveillance through to providing aid in humanitarian operations.”

Doherty first got into the RAF

Migrant spotting

BRITISH tourists were left shocked after having to rescue migrants during a dolphin cruise. Gavin Rodgers, 54, and wife Bernadette, 53, were among the passengers of the €60 boat trip in Gran Canaria. The holidaymakers came to the aid of 20 men, women and children in a rickety wooden vessel. London-based photographer Gavin said: “Thankfully we were able to play our part in getting them to safety. Some people were cruelly moaning they had seen more migrants than dolphins.”

following in the steps of her family at the Air Training Corps.

After training as an officer, she went on tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and around Europe.

“I have a three year posting here...My goal is simply to hand the baton on in three years time with the unit in a in a better shape.”

She described the ‘excellent working relationship’ with the local community.

“I’m very proud of the work that my predecessor started here in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) projects with local schools,” she said “They are systematically introducing children from junior school upwards to the concept of science.”

From a strategic point of view,

BEAMING: Nel Doherty with her dog at work Doherty stressed the continuing importance of Gibraltar.

“It’s been incredibly important in World Wars because of its location on the Straits of Gibraltar. That hasn’t changed,” she added.

“What has struck me since I’ve been here is the strength of national pride that is evident in every Gibraltarian I’ve met.

It is an overseas territory that has very, very strong links to the UK.”