Isabel Pantoja could face money laundering charges

Judge Oscar Pérez has completed his instruction of the case where the diva could face money laundering chargesThe judge has found ‘indications’ of a crime of money laundering in the case against the Spanish diva, Isabel Pantoja.
The judge in Instruction Court 5 in Marbella, Oscar Pérez, considers that her professional activity does not justify her economic capacity, and she had a relationship with a person implicated in illicit activities. That person was the ex Mayor of Marbella, and ex partner of the singer, Julián Muñoz.Part of the investigations in the case relates to an apartment that Pantoja has in the Hotel Guadalpín, which was purchased via a company with a public escritura granted by the Aifos company in 2003, although the transaction did not appear in the constructor’s accounts until ‘years later’, and the payment for the property was not found.
The Judge also noted that in 2002 before meeting Julián Muñoz, Pantoja only paid 4,816 € into her bank, but in 2003 when the relationship started she paid in 293,497 €, an amount which the judge notes ‘contrasts’ with her tax return for the year. The judge noted also that on every day between April 7 and 22 in 2004, she paid in 3,000 €.Judge Pérez also noted that the money being handled by Julián Muñoz and his family was ‘clearly superior’ to his declared income.Also included in the judge’s instruction investigations which are now completed are Muñoz’s ex wife, Maite Zaldívar and 11 other people, linked to but being treated separately from the Malaya case.It’s now up to the prosecutor to request that a case against money laundering be opened or the matter be archived.

Detectives on the Costa del Sol have charged John White over an alleged scam to defraud dozens of people of their valuable antiques.

They are probing whether White, 58, set up a sting which saw dozens of expatriates hand him rare coins and other items, worth an estimated one million euros.
Greying White – described as “someone straight off the Antiques Roadshow” – allegedly hoodwinked up to 100 clients over a three-month period.
But his game was rumbled in a clever heist after clients were informed by email that Mr White had “suddenly died of cancer” in the US.
Far from convinced and fearing the loss of up to 100,000 euros of valuables, two of his victims posed as a potential new client to flush him out.
In a clever sting, the pair met White at a Fuengirola cafe, before bundling him into a car insisting they went to get their property.
But White still refused to be outdone and, despite his age, pulled a knife on his clients at the luxury 500,000 euro home he was renting in Marbella.
“I was stabbed several times after being kidnapped, tied up and thrown into the boot of a car.”
After a scuffle, in which both parties were wounded, his clients, who are from South Africa, fled before police arrived to arrest White.
Marbella police had already been investigating White over the auction fraud after a series of reports were filed.
But in a cunning twist, White claimed to be the innocent party and insisted he had become the victim of a vicious attack, in which his clients kidnapped him and stole the items scheduled for auction.
In a frantic late night phone call from Marbella police station he told an Olive Press reporter: “I was stabbed several times after being kidnapped, tied up and thrown into the boot of a car.
“They pretended to be antique sellers at first, but then they bundled me into their car, took me to my home and stole 25,000 dollars and all the antiques.”
This claim is completely denied by his clients, a pair of South African businessmen, living on the Costa del Sol.
While they were arrested the following day and accused of ‘illegal detention” and robbery, their lawyer insisted they were completely innocent.
Carlos Vee, of firm GA Lawyers, said: “They were simply trying to get their property back and worked out a clever sting to catch him out.
“Where they went wrong was not to get the police involved in advance.”
He continued: “It is a case of the conman getting conned. He is a very credible bookish sort of bloke, straight out of the Antiques Roadshow.
“He took a lot of people in a plot reminiscent of a Tom Clancy novel. He had apparently done it a few times before and is a seasoned sociopath.”
While police confirmed they were investigating a “fracas” outside his home, they also confirmed they were probing the suspected antiques fraud.
Police started investigating after two reports were filed against White last week.
This week detectives scoured his three-storey townhouse, which he rented on the outskirts of the celebrated Spanish tourist resort.
Cordoning off the house, they eventually emerged with a number of items, including an unidentifiable machine about a metre in length.
The auctioneer, who had apparently been renting the home for six months, had arranged a series of ‘bogus’ auctions of rare and historic antiques, which never took place.
Advertising the event in local newspapers and through posters, he was inundated with sellers – mostly elderly Britons – keen to cash in on their valuables.
However, after one high profile auction at Marbella’s prestigious Hotel el Fuerte was cancelled twice, his clients grew suspicious.
After failing to get through to his phone number or address, they heard he had moved to America, and was “recovering from cancer”.
One concerned client Maria Weldon Weightman, 60, from Glasgow – whose valuables were estimated to be worth over 20,000 euros – has filed an official police report.
“I have been trying to call him for more than two weeks and I have heard nothing,” explained Weightman, who has lived in Estepona for a number of years.
“It is very strange, he guaranteed me that my items would be sold by the New Year.”
Another client Elizabeth Davies, from Birmingham, handed over a priceless Roman broach with three extremely rare Roman coins inside, plus numerous other items.
She said: “I took him at face value, I believed that he as he was older he would be more trustworthy.
“I just feel like such an idiot for having originally agreed to this.”
Our investigators also failed to get hold of White, who eventually sent a string of bizarre emails via a third party, claiming he was in the US recovering from cancer.
At first they claimed he was close to death, but later said he was making a recovery.
They also insisted the terms of the auction had been clearly explained.
The third party, who gave his name as David Harris, insisted that sellers would be paid 60 days after the auction and that clients were made aware of this.
In a spelling-mistake spewed email, he said: “It doesn’t matter what you say or do, we have tried to explain to a few clients here in Marbella but it seems to go in one ear and out of the other,” read the email.
.”We don’t just sit in an office doing nothing all day.”
However, clients have since refuted the claims, insisting that no sure assurances were ever made.
Judy Rosevear, 60, from Cornwall, explained: They didn’t explain any of this to us, he actually never made it clear about how or when he would pay.
“The biggest problem is the very fact you cannot get hold of them.”
While police scoured his home neighbours alleged that he has not paid his rent for several months.
A Marbella national police detective confirmed that White had been charged and bailed.
He said: “We are still looking into this case but I would hesitate to add much more at this stage.”

Glasgow Gang War moves to Spain Eddie Snr, Eddie Jnr and Stephen Lyons - are now believed to be in Spain

David Lyons and his son Mark have not been seen at their MOT garage since the enforcer for the rival Daniel clan was gunned down in a supermarket car park last month.And other members of the Lyons family - including Eddie Snr, Eddie Jnr and Stephen Lyons - are now believed to be in Spain.Gerbil, 29, was an arch-enemy of the Lyons clan and underworld sources have claimed they sanctioned the hit.David Lyons's Applerow Motors in north Glasgow has already witnessed a triple shooting which left his nephew dead.And sources said David, 49, is taking no chances of a repeat of the 2006 attack, which was likened in court to a scene from The Godfather.Our source said: "David is usually at the garage all day long and he was frequently in the post office getting MOTs."But since the day after Gerbil was killed, he has not been anywhere near it."None of the rest of the family, including Mark who worked there, have been spotted either."David was never away from the place but now it's as if he has vanished. It is a bit suspicious. The word on the street is that he is very wary of reprisals."David Lyons has always claimed he is a legitimate businessman but in 2007, Strathclyde Police intelligence said he was "involved in serious and organised crime including the trafficking and supply of Class A drugs".Gerbil was shot dead as he sat in a black Audi in the Asda car park in Robroyston, Glasgow, on January 13.More than 10 shots were fired at Carroll by a three-man hit squad as horrified shoppers looked on.The stolen car used in the hit was later found burned out near Airdrie.A fortnight later, the two guns used in the hit were found dumped behind Coatbridge Library in Lanarkshire.The feud between the Lyons and Daniel families has scarred the streets of north Glasgow for years.The triple shooting at David Lyons's garage in December 2006 is believed to have been carried out in revenge for the shootings of two Daniel associates - including Gerbil.Raymond "Rainbow" Anderson and sidekick James McDonald were jailed for 70 years for the shooting.

Fifteen people have been arrested in six Whiskerias clubs in Cadiz and Málaga

Fifteen people have been arrested in six ‘alternative’ clubs in Cadiz and Málaga, all of them controlled by a married couple in their 60’s based in El Puerto de Santa María, and their two children.
One of them is the bullfighter Juan Pedro Galán who along with his sister, Rocio, has also been arrested.Named as operation ‘Toscana’ it remains open and so far five brothels were raided in Cádiz province, at El Puerto de Santa María, Chiclana, Conil and Medina Sidonia, along with another at Estepona in Málaga province. Seven homes have also been searched along with a gestor’s office.
26 vehicles and half a million € in cash have been impounded according to the Guardia Civil, with a total value of assets intervened at 50 million €. Police say the group forced the women to hand over half their earnings.

Three youths have been arrested in Marbella on suspicion of sexual abuse of a sixteen year old girl

Three youths have been arrested in Marbella on suspicion of sexual abuse of a sixteen year old girl. All were friends of the girl.The victim at the apartment of a girlfriend when they were joined by three youths, one of whom was a former boyfriend with whom she had maintained an intimate relationship.The three youths then tied up the girl using computer cables and proceeded to sexually abuse her. The girl had to be treated at the Hospital Costa del Sol for injuries sustained in the attack.The girlfriend of the victim was also charged with the crime of failing to provide assistance.

arrested 54 members of the Latin Kings gang

Eric Javier Velástegui, from Ecuador, has been running the gang from his prison cell
Madrid Police has arrested 54 members of the Latin Kings gang in the capital including those considered to be the leaders of the gang. Investigators have been following clues in the case for months, despite the gang reducing its activity over recent times.
Police say that the gang had been rebuilt by those arrested who are already serving time in prison, but now they are confident they have stopped the gang from resurging. Police say Eric Javier Velástegui, from Ecuador, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison for raping a woman in 2003, has been running the gang from his prison cell.

Britons Daniel Rushton and Matthew Daly have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a supermarket in Puerto Banus

Britons Daniel Rushton and Matthew Daly have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a supermarket in Puerto Banus, Spain Britons who allegedly held up a Spanish supermarket were arrested after returning to the shop as customers.
Police swooped on expats Daniel Rushton and Matthew Daly, both 25, in the same store two days after the armed robbery.
Two masked thieves threatened staff with a handgun and a metal bar at the store in the upmarket resort of Puerto Banus on the Costa del Sol.They escaped with cash from the till and electronic goods from the shop.A member of staff at the OpenCor supermarket was stunned when two British men walked into the shop two days later on February 2.He claimed he recognised them as the two men who carried out the robbery two days previously and called police.Armed officers arrived at the shop within minutes and the men were arrested as they waited in a queue to get credit on their mobile phones.Detectives who searched the pair's home found two balaclavas allegedly worn by the robbers during the hold up.
A police source said: 'The member of staff couldn't believe it when the two men walked in.
'They were apparently recognised by their build and their eyes underneath the balaclavas.
'It beats us why a robber would return to the scene of the crime so soon afterward.'
The two men appeared in court in Marbella and are being investigated on suspicion of involvement in several other armed robberies on the Costa del Sol.They were questioned by an investigating judge, who will rule on whether they should stand trial.Neither man has been charged.

37 year old German man, resident of Alicante, has been conned out of 34,500 €

37 year old German man, resident of Alicante, has been conned out of 34,500 € using a trick known in Spain as ‘wash wash’.The National Police report that the victim has told them that two black men in their 30’s contacted him after he advertised two hostelry businesses for sale. They said they would pay him for the traspaso of the two premises with notes that had been painted black to evade customs controls, and asked him to pay for chemical products which would clean the notes.Usually the fraud consists of a demonstration using real money as to how the chemical cleans the notes. Later when the payment is made, painted paper is used instead of real notes.The German made a payment for the rental of a safe where the painted cash would be put, and two further payments more to buy the chemicals from an American laboratory. He paid the money to the two men in two meetings, one in a Madrid bar and the second in an industrial estate in Elche.

British man has been arrested by the Guardia Civil from Tías, Lanzarote

British man has been arrested by the Guardia Civil from Tías, Lanzarote after he used counterfeit 50 € notes to pay for several services at a hotel in Puerto del Carmen.
The man was found to be carrying 750 € and 1,100 Pounds Sterling in fake notes in person and in his holiday accommodation.He was been named as 20 year old C.W. and will appear before the Instruction Judge in Arrecife shortly.

Bodies of a Belgium woman, her mother, and her daughter, have been found in a cortijo in El Mayordomo, Sorbas, Almería

Bodies of a Belgium woman, her mother, and her daughter, have been found in a cortijo in El Mayordomo, Sorbas, Almería. The three dead women were aged 67, 35 and four. The Belgium mother was visiting for just a few days, while the four year old had Spanish nationality.The Guardia Civil are following the belief that the woman killed her mother with an axe, then suffocated her daughter and then hung herself.The three bodies were found by the ex partner of the woman, a local electrician at 8,30pm on Sunday night. The man called at the house thinking it strange that the family had not attended the carnival in Sorbas earlier. It’s thought the tragedy could have taken place on Saturday night.Autopsies are being carried out in Almería city today. Sorbas Town Hall has declared three days official mourning, and cancelled the remaining events for Carnival.

largest drug-trafficker in speed on the island

man described as the largest drug-trafficker in speed on the island, has been arrested by the National Police on Gran Canaria. He was arrested when he was buying two kilos of amphetamines.A search in three of his homes revealed 13,000 € in cash, precision scales, and different substances used to cut the drug.Monday’s operation is the second stage of one which saw four other arrests and the recovery of two kilos of the drug last September.Police have indicated that postal letters were used to make contact and oddly the head of the operation who has now been arrested never used a mobile phone, preferring to make his deals only face to face.The arrested man has not been named in reports.

Spanish Meteorological Agency has extended the orange alert for heavy rain in Málaga province

Two schools, in Manilva and Marbella, had to be evacuated after becoming flooded, and in Manilva the A7 was closed for a time as underpasses to gain access to Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa were underwater.There were several landslides affecting roads in the Manilva area.
In Marbella the El Ángel college was flooded and evacuated and a wall collapsed close to the Barceló hotel in San Pedro Alcántara. More than 50 litres per square metre was recorded in Marbella and as much as 80 in some areas.In Estepona the marina was flooded and several local rivers and streams burst their banks leading to flooding of homes and businesses, with the Urbanization Marimontes worst affected. Cancelada was also cut off for a time.Last 12 hours rainfall figures to 7am Tuesday morning
82 litres per square metre in Casarabonela., 84 in Coin and 108 in Ojén.The Spanish Meteorological Agency has extended the orange alert for heavy rain in Málaga province until Tuesday midday.

Martin Anthony Smith, 44, of North Shields, is wanted in connection with the rape of a child

Martin Anthony Smith, 44, of North Shields, is wanted in connection with the rape of a child under 16, gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16, indecent assault of a girl under 16 and the attempted rape of a girl under 16. He may be on the run with his wife and five-year-old daughter.

Mark Ronald Brown, 44, of Liverpool, is accused of being the head of a drug smuggling gang that conspired to bring hundreds of kilos of heroin into Br

Mark Ronald Brown, 44, of Liverpool, is accused of being the head of a drug smuggling gang that conspired to bring hundreds of kilos of heroin into Britain.

Stephen John Burnell, 56, of Scunthorpe, is wanted following a failure to surrender to custody after being convicted of a series of sex crimes. He was

Stephen John Burnell, 56, of Scunthorpe, is wanted following a failure to surrender to custody after being convicted of a series of sex crimes. He was facing a six-year jail sentence for offences including attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Jody Michael Flynn, 28, of Birkenhead, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Jody Michael Flynn, 28, of Birkenhead, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Michael Eddleston, 27, of Doncaster, is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances

Michael Eddleston, 27, of Doncaster, is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances

Fatah Benlaredj, 32, originally from Algeria, is wanted for the rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Fatah Benlaredj, 32, originally from Algeria, is wanted for the rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Joseph Stephen Morley, 46, of Liverpool, disappeared from prison in 2000 while serving a 15-year sentence for conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin

Joseph Stephen Morley, 46, of Liverpool, disappeared from prison in 2000 while serving a 15-year sentence for conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin

Stephen Henry Pitman, 53, of Chislehurst, southeast London, is accused of seven offences of of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Stephen Henry Pitman, 53, of Chislehurst, southeast London, is accused of seven offences of of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Paul Walmsley, 40, who is wanted for heroin and cocaine trafficking

Paul Walmsley, 40, who is wanted for heroin and cocaine trafficking. He has been on the run for three years.Police are also appealing for help in finding Martin Smith, 44, suspected of raping a young girl.He is thought to be in hiding in Spain with his wife and five-year-old daughter.

Benjamin Murphy, 29, is wanted for a robbery in which a gang ram-raided a jewellers in Sheffield and escaped with £1.6m worth of diamond rings

Benjamin Murphy, 29, is wanted for a robbery in which a gang ram-raided a jewellers in Sheffield and escaped with £1.6m worth of diamond rings and watches.
Murphy, from Manchester, has been on the run since jumping bail 18 months ago.
Although South Yorkshire Police had confiscated his passport he was able to apply and get a replacement, claiming he had lost the original.
Two of Murphy's cousins are already serving long jail sentences for their part in the robbery, from which most of the jewellery is still missing.
Shop owner Gary Singleton said: "He's done a runner and got away with a lot and is living the high life. If he's done the crime he should be doing the time."
Are criminals hiding among tourists?
Murphy is described as stocky with green eyes, shaved, dark brown hair and Chinese dragon tattoos on his chest and right arm.

serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.

Financial Services Commission has today, pursuant to Section 11 of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) Act cancelled the licences of the following licensed firms and persons ;
Gibland Secretarial Services Limited ; Licence No FSC00171B
Gibland Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00175B
Equity Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00174B
Equitar Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00172B
Gibter Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00173B
Cabor Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00430B
Meridian Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00890B
Marrache, Benjamin John Samuel ; Licence No FSC00736I
Marrache, Solomon S ; Licence No FSC00176I
The decision has been taken following an investigation into the affairs of the licensed entities and persons which in the opinion of the Commission have disclosed serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.
The Commission,while investigations continue, has taken immediate measures to safeguard the interests of the existing clients of these firms and has appointed Mr Frederick White Managing Director of Grant Thornton (Gibraltar) Limited of 6a Queensway, Gibraltar (Tel. 200 45502) as Authorised Administrator of all the above companies pursuant to the provisions of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) (Temporary Administration of Companies) Regulations 2010.

The Authorised Administrator will work closely with the clients of these firms in assisting them to transfer their business to other licensed entities at the earliest opportunity having regard to the particular needs of individual clients.

Marrache & Co Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.

Two senior executives at a prominent Gibraltar law firm, brothers Benjamin and Solomon Marrache, appeared before the Magistrates Court yesterday charged with false accounting in respect of E1.8m of client money.The two men were arrested on Tuesday and spent the night in police cells before being ferried to court in a police van.The two Marrache brothers were ushered by police through a side entrance to Central Police station just before 10am and appeared before the magistrate in a crowded courthouse a short while later.Attorney General Ricky Rhoda, appearing for the Crown, urged the magistrate to impose stringent bail conditions for fear that the two men might flee the jurisdiction.Keith Azopardi, the defence lawyer representing the Marrache brothers together with Samantha Sacramento, said there was no risk of them leaving Gibraltar because both were of previous good character and had strong family ties here.Stipendiary Magistrate Charles Pitto granted bail but set tough conditions on each defendant, in the form of two sureties to the value of £300,000 for each brother. The court also set a further financial condition of £150,000 in their own recognizance for each defendant.In simple terms, failure to appear at future court hearings could cost the defendants and their guarantors up to £900,000 in total.Both men also had to hand in their travel documents and agree to reside at their respective family homes, as well as report twice weekly to police.By the end of the day yesterday, a number of persons had stepped up to provide £600,000 in sureties for the release of the two men.At an hour-long hearing in the evening, Mr Pitto questioned the guarantors closely but accepted the sureties. The two brothers were released from custody later that evening.Yesterday’s developments in court were the opening shots in what will undoubtedly develop into a lengthy and complex case.Mr Rhoda said the sums of money involved “could be quite substantial”.He said the two men were currently facing “holding charges” and that more charges could follow at a later stage. The Attorney General also said there could be further arrests as a result of an ongoing police investigation.Earlier this week police raided several commercial and residential properties linked to Marrache & Co and seized documents and computers.Prosecutors allege that in January this year, the brothers falsified documents to conceal a shortfall of E1.8m of funds belonging to a company called Portino Comercio Internacional. One document, a letter signed by Solomon Marrache, purported to show that the money was held by the brothers on the client’s behalf. Another document, a letter signed by Benjamin Marrache, purported to give authority to Natwest bank to transfer the client’s money to a bank in Ireland.But prosecutors said that the Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.