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Sitio muy bonito y decoración espléndido
Bienvenida caliente y amable
Comida deliciosa - carne y pescado barbacoa una especialidad - selección excelente de vino
Mira el mundo pasando del patio al frente o disfruta las vistas estupendas de las montañas del balcón detrás.
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Beautiful setting and superb decor
Warm and friendly welcome
Delicious cuisine charcol grilled meat and fish a speciality
Excellent selection of wines
Bright and relaxing bar area
Watch the world go by from the front patio or savour the magnificent mountain views from the balcony at the back.
Open Every Day exept Monday

BOOKINGS PHONE 952869848

Telefono 952869848


Wednesday 30 April 2008

Housejacking, Three masked men attacked the chalet belonging to Juan Mora, the owner of the Matola restaurant in Elche

Three masked men attacked the chalet belonging to Juan Mora, the owner of the Matola restaurant in Elche, in the early hours of yesterday. The victim was woken up at 4.15 in the morning by the thieves who complained that they could not find the money.
After ransacking the property they made off with an estimated 10,000 €. As they left they warned him ‘Call the police after 15 minutes. Don’t do so before as we know where your children live’.Información newspaper reports that family members of the victim say he was beaten up by the thieves, and were armed with a large screwdriver and used a large leather belt as a whip. For some reason the house alarm had not been activated and the three men managed to gain access without upsetting the dogs.
Reports say that one of the men was black and they had a foreign accent. Juan Mora is now back at home after a medical check up at Elche hospital.

Spaniard, Jesús G.R., who is alleged to have caused the coach crash in Benalmádena ordered to prison without bail

27 year old Spaniard, Jesús G.R., who is alleged to have caused the coach crash in Benalmádena on Saturday April 19th, in which nine Finnish tourists, including a seven year old girl, lost their lives, has been ordered to prison without bail by the judge in Instruction Court One in Torremolinos. He attended with his father, was wearing a neck brace, and showed difficulty in walking.He is thought to have lost control of his KIA four wheel drive vehicle while overtaking the bus at speed on a curve on the A7 motorway, crashing into the bus and causing it to overturn.
The judge called the youngster to the court this morning where he arrived at 1125am and left in a National Police car at 1310pm.
He now faces nine charges of serious negligence resulting in death, and 41 counts of serious negligence resulting in injury. There is also a charge of dangerous driving, and another of driving while under the influence of alcohol. He had breath tested at 0,50 milligrams of alcohol after the accident, double the legal limit in Spain.
Speaking to the Diario Sur newspaper last week Jesús’s father said that his son is deeply depressed and has said he wished he had been killed in the crash.

Marbella Town Hall has ordered a zero tolerance policy for those who sell their wares by foot in the town

Caracuel is reported to have referred to the immigrants as ‘a threat’ and as ‘invaders’ of the town, leader IU to comment ‘We cannot doubt that this type of sale is illegal, but the way of combating it is not adequate’.The Defensor del Pueblo, the Spanish Ombudsman, has asked for an explanation from Marbella Town Hall following a spate of immigrant arrests in the town. The PP local councillor for citizen safety, Francisca Caracuel, has ordered a zero tolerance policy for those who sell their wares by foot in the town, and this has resulted in 500 arrests in a few months. Most of the sales were of counterfeit goods, and 50,000 such items were recently crushed by a steam roller in Puerto Banús to underline the policy. However 17 Chinese beach masseurs have also been arrested, and criticism of the harshness of the police has come from the IU left wing.The Ombudsman, José Chamizo, met with the left wingers and a local Senegalese association last September and called on the Town Hall to ‘only apply the law’. Some claim that in fact things have improved considerably for the immigrants compared to the time of the GIL administration.
Two recent court cases in Spain have seen immigrants charged with such sales being released, given that profits made were minimal and the activity was necessary for their survival.

Tuesday 29 April 2008

Border guards have started implementing a directive ordering them to open fire on smugglers who fail to stop

The entering into force of this directive came amid discovering the close relationship of smuggling networks with terror groups, as well as the use of arms by smugglers while securing tracks to their goods.Furthermore, some smugglers tend to extend their activities to arms and explosives trafficking, like for instance in Tlemcen province where gendarmerie and border guards managed foiling about five attempts of smuggling weapons and explosives.Besides, many armed clashes have taken place between border guards and security services against smugglers, later last year and early this year, in border provinces, eastern, western and southern the country.
The Majority of armed clashes have been underscored in Bechar and Tlemcen provinces, western Algeria, followed by Illizi and El-Oued provinces, southern the country, then Tebessa province, eastern Algeria.
It is worth mentioning that joint security forces in Bechar have led, a couple of weeks ago, helicopter raids against a group of 4X4 belonging to smugglers, while hardly fled from being arrested by border guards.

300 illegal homes in Cañada Hermosa

20 minutos reports that there are 300 illegal homes in Cañada Hermosa, and local resident, Pedro Cerón, noted some of them have been there for more than ten years. He said they would not be legalised because people simply don’t know what to do, and he called on the City Hall to visit the area to explain the procedure. There are a further 200 homes in Cañada de San Pedro in the same position.Murcia City Hall is threatening to demolish as many as 4,000 homes which have been built illegally in the region’s countryside. Property owners have been given the deadline of January 31 2009 to bring their properties into legality, and Town Planning Councillor, Fernando Berberena, has warned that after this date legal processes will be started which could end in demolition. Illegally built warehouses are also included in the new crackdown.Bringing as many as 4,000 properties into legality in such a short time is a tall order, given that all of last year saw only 80 homes regularised in the region.The 2001 PGOU General Ordinance Plan gave five years for making the homes and industries legal, but over the five years only 1,000 homes and 150 warehouses were regularised.Murcia City Hall says that leaflets will be handed out in the areas concerned. These show that to bring a property into legality the owner has to provide an application form with a report from Emuasa, technical documentation which includes the provision of services such as water and sewerage, several plans and a budget.

Sunday 27 April 2008

Puerto Banus shooting mystery..70 shots were fired in the assault and the two victims were hit by 16 bullets between them.









After the shooting an Algerian-born French businessmen went to the National Police to say he thought he was the intended target. He had been in the hairdressers at the time of the shooting and his friend – bodyguard, who was waiting in their car outside the hairdressers, was one of those injured. The companion was arrested in his hospital bed for the possession of a gun that was found beneath their car.
Police have stressed that neither the Frenchman nor his companion have any previous convictions in Spain. The businessmen is said to be involved in high fashion, owns several shops in Puerto Banús and commutes between his homes in Paris and Marbella. He was allowed to return to his home after being interviewed by police.
The police say they do not know the identity of the four attackers nor have they yet found the man who entered the hairdressers before the shooting and asked for an appointment in English. He is said to have acted in a very suspicious manner and left the shop seconds before the shooting started.Whilst police still believe the shooting bears all the hallmarks of a “settling of accounts” between criminals they have stated that the modus operandi suggests that they had no clear identity of their target. More than 70 shots were fired in the assault and the two victims were hit by 16 bullets between them.
Meanwhile in neighbouring Estepona the civilian security group has formed a special squad of local police officers to tackle organised crime. The town hall fears that this violence may spread from Marbella to Estepona. The new group of officers will pay special attention to the many urbanisations in the east of the municipality bordering on to Marbella where a Rumanian gang is said to have already carried out robberies.

Friday 25 April 2008

Plane loaded with drugs crashes at Spanish banker Botin's estate

The plane was carrying 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of hashish when it missed the airfield and crashed into a nearby gully, Dmaz-Cano said. Two people were killed at the crash and a third one was arrested.
Police are investigating a small plane loaded with drugs that crashed Friday at the estate of one of the country's most prominent bankers, killing two people on board, an Interior Ministry representative said.The plane crashed around midday Friday as it tried to land at a private airstrip on the country estate of banker Emilio Botin, Maximo Dmaz-Cano said.The plane was carrying 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of hashish when it missed the airfield and crashed into a nearby gully, Dmaz-Cano said.
A third person has been detained at the 11,000 hectare (27,180 acres) estate, located 230 kilometers (143 miles) southwest of Madrid. Police are combing the area in search of other people who might have been involved in the suspected smuggling.
Botin is president of Banco Santander Central Hispano, Spain's largest bank by market capitalization.

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Juan Antonio Roca return to prison brings a rapid end to his week of freedom on bail during which time he made many claims to the press, including one


The bail conditions against Juan Antonio Roca, the ex Marbella Municipal real estate assessor in the case known as ‘Saqueo 1’ have been increased today to three million €. The Roca family had already paid the lower level of bail, set at 450,000 € in the case, but today Roca finds himself sent to prison again, with bail now set at 3 million €.This is separate from the 1 million € which it took his family 17 days to raise in the Malaya case.The Saqueo 1 case is also known as the 'false facturas' case and is linked to the alleged diversion of public funds from Marbella Town Hall to private companies between 1991 and 1995 amounting to 27.6 million €. The late Mayor Jesús Gil and six others were charged in the case, where Roca is accused of money laundering, defrauding Hacienda, bribery, the alteration of prices in public auctions and tenders, the misuse of public funds and even a charge against damaging flora and fauna, amongst others.Today the National Court judge, Pablo Ruiz, accepted an appeal presented to him from the legal department of Marbella Town Hall which said they feared that Roca was a flight risk. The Town Hall say that it is ‘curious’ that the Roca family could find such amounts of money as had paid, 1, 450,000 € despite having all his assets supposedly frozen in the Malaya case.Roca’s defence team said they did not understand why their client was seeing his bail conditions revised, considering that Roca’s circumstances had not changed.
His return to prison brings a rapid end to his week of freedom on bail during which time he made many claims to the press, including one of innocence.

The Playa de Bakio, with 13 Spanish and 13 African crew on board, was attacked by around 10 pirates armed with grenade launchers


Ambassador Nicolás Martín Cinto was expected to travel to the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, coinciding with the arrival of a Spanish warship off Somalia's north coast where the fishing boat was boarded.The Playa de Bakio, with 13 Spanish and 13 African crew on board, was attacked by around 10 pirates armed with grenade launchers at around 1pm on Sunday.Crew members who managed to speak to relatives in Spain by telephone yesterday said the pirates appeared to be "well-trained soldiers" who accused the crew of stealing Somalia's fish stocks and who spoke of a "senior commander" who would negotiate their release in exchange for ransom money.At 7am yesterday, one of those onboard said the Playa de Bakio was moored in sight of the Somali coast and that the crew members were being treated well.The Playa de Bakio is the first Spanish fishing boat in eight years to be seized by pirates after the Almacora IV was attacked off Somalia in 2000. The crew were reportedly freed after the boat's owner paid the pirates EUR 400,000.

Hacienda tax authorities has announced that they are to investigate 198 Spaniards

Hacienda tax authorities has announced that they are to investigate 198 Spaniards who have bank accounts in Liechtenstein for possible fiscal crimes. A statement from the Agencia Tributaria, said that the deposits correspond to family groups with several different titles and beneficiaries.
The data obtained in the investigation will be sent over to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.
It comes with the revelation that Spain is working in coordination with Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, the U.K. and the United States in the Lichtenstein investigation.
Spanish investment there alone is 22.11 million € in the past 15 years, although there are no numbers since 2005 when the country was considered as a financial haven.
Spanish investments offshore are estimated to have reached 95 million € in the first half of last year, some 50% lower than for the same period in 2006.

Welsh tourist was left for dead following a bungled bag snatch on the Costa

Ray Griffin, of Dowell Street, fell victim to thieves preying on tourists while staying in a hotel resort in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol earlier this month.
The incident happened just two weeks after a Welsh tourist was left for dead following a bungled bag snatch.
The female victim was thrown to the ground as a man on a moped tried to snatch her bag, leaving her with a blood clot on the brain.Mr Griffin was on holiday with his wife, Valerie, when thieves made off with a purse, containing 150 Euros, a silver lucky charm and a Nintendo DS with four games."I was sunbathing by the pool and it was quite breezy," Mr Griffin told the Herald."When I got up, I saw our bag had blown to one side. I didn't know it had been moved by thieves."I realised the items were missing when I looked inside."Mr Griffin reported the theft to police and was later able to view CCTV footage, which, he says, clearly showed two local men in their 40s and 20s as the culprits."I saw the hotel manager and had a go at him about security. There is no security whatsoever," he said."It's getting terrible in Spain. Villains are making a living out of ripping off tourists."A few days after the theft, Mr Griffin was astounded to see the same men back in the hotel's grounds."I went over and challenged them, and they threatened to shoot me!" he said. "One of them had a bag and he went to unzip it as he said it."Other holidaymakers joined me in challenging them and they left the site."Mr Griffin believes the men were accessing the hotel grounds via insecure gates. He has taken pictures of the gates - to illustrate how they are being left unlocked or secured with a plastic tie.Mr Griffin travelled to Spain as an independent tourist and not as part of a package deal with a tour operator.

“We’re waking up from the property dream and finding ourselves in a situation where prices are falling in Spain for the first time,”

“We’re waking up from the property dream and finding ourselves in a situation where prices are falling in Spain for the first time,” said Fernando Encinar, a founder of Idealista.com, a real estate Web site.In Spain, more than four million homes were built in the last decade, more than in Germany, Britain and France combined. Average house prices tripled in parts of the country, as Spain’s torrid economy attracted immigrants and Northern Europeans snapped up holiday homes along the Costa del Sol.
Now, though, thousands of those houses stand empty. The I.M.F. estimates that property is overvalued by more than 15 percent. With mortgages drying up and prices swooning, speculators who once viewed Spanish property as a no-lose proposition are confronting hard reality.In 2005, Julian Felipe Fernandez bought three small apartments, as an investment, in a huge development being built outside Madrid. He paid 100,000 euros as a deposit for the units, and now he is eager to sell them to avoid having to taking on a costly mortgage. But with the market stalled, Mr. Fernandez’s asking price is what he paid for them.“Three years ago, it looked like I would be able to flip them for a nice profit before they were finished,” he said. “I just want to get them off my hands, to get rid of this headache.”If he unloads them, he will be lucky. Enric Bueno, head of marketing for Ibusa, a real estate company in Barcelona, said his firm was closing six or seven sales a month, compared with 40 a month a year ago.“Things are really bad,” Mr. Bueno said. “If this goes on for five years, we won’t make it.”Economists have been busy cutting their growth forecasts for Spain, with a few saying that it may stagnate this summer. BBVA, a leading Spanish bank, forecasts that unemployment will rise to an average of 11 percent this year, from 8.6 percent in 2007.

Tuesday 22 April 2008

Juan Antonio Roca is accused of money laundering, defrauding Hacienda, bribery, the alteration of prices in public auctions and tenders

Juan Antonio Roca, is in the National Court on Wednesday morning in the so-called Saqueo 1 case, in which he is currently released on 450,000 € bail. He has also had to pay 1 million € bail in the separate Malaya case.The hearing on Wednesday at 10am comes under article 5050 of the Criminal Judgement Law which consists of a revision of his bail conditions in the Saqueo case. The appearance comes following a formal appeal made against bail by Marbella Town Hall legal department, in which they ask for a reconsideration of the bail granted.
Both sides will be able to question Roca during the hearing, and then the judge will make a ruling. Already Roca’s defence team has said they do not understand why the hearing has been called as nothing has changed in the Saqueo case and there can be no destruction of evidence. They also claim there is no ‘social alarm’ and no risk of flight.
The Saqueo 1 case is also known as the 'false facturas' case and is linked to the alleged diversion of public funds from Marbella Town Hall to private companies between 1991 and 1995 amounting to 27.6 million €. The late Mayor Jesús Gil and six others were charged in the case, where Roca is accused of money laundering, defrauding Hacienda, bribery, the alteration of prices in public auctions and tenders, the misuse of public funds and even a charge against damaging flora and fauna, amongst others.

Viva Estates had 15 offices across southern Spain and was selling 2,000 properties a year.

Viva is down to one office and sells 200 homes a year if it is lucky. “It’s as if we’ve been hit by a tsunami,” says McCarthy, who is focusing on Hot Properties, a magazine he has set up to help people sell privately. “The property boom was over by 2004. Chris McCarthy, a Briton living in Marbella, set up Viva Estates, an estate agency aimed at selling property to the hordes of his fellow countrymen keen to buy on the Costa del Sol. At its peak, the company had 15 offices across southern Spain and was selling 2,000 properties a year. Last year, it was oversupplied, overpriced and illegal, then came the Spanish property market collapse, the US sub-prime crisis, Northern Rock, followed by UK house prices falling, rate increases, the mortgage freeze and the stock market collapse. It’s been like wave after wave hitting us.” Spain – and especially the south coast – consistently tops the list of the most popular overseas buying destinations for Britons, with an estimated 65% of the properties sold each year on the Costas going to UK buyers. With the British market in trouble, the Costa del Sol is feeling the draught. While the value of their own houses in Guildford and Birmingham is at a standstill or even falling, people are less willing to invest in a holiday home abroad. Other places popular with Brits, such as Florida and the Caribbean, are also beginning to hurt. Even in the south of France and Italy, markets are taking a knock, thanks to the strength of the euro, which has risen 15% against the pound since September, adding to the cost of buying. Couple this with tighter mortgage conditions for borrowers at home and abroad, and the picture is far from rosy. “There has definitely been a slowdown in the normal sales rates that one might expect,” says James Price, head of international residential development at Knight Frank. “It’s taking longer to get people to commit. There needs to be a compelling reason for them to buy abroad.”
“Super-prime property appears to be relatively unaffected by the tightening of lending conditions,” says Price, although he thinks even the top end of the market in most countries will begin to slow as turmoil in the financial world hits confidence. He warns: “The next 12 months will see a gradual slowing of price growth in the main international buying destinations, especially France, Italy and the Caribbean.” So what is really happening in the six most popular overseas destinations, and what should you do?

Saturday 19 April 2008

Spain's real estate market is turning sour, a situation tied by some to the international banking crisis



The Costa del Sol Association of Builders and Promoters reported in February that sales of tourist property in southern Malaga province fell nearly 50 percent last year. It claimed the main problem was people being frightened by corruption scandals in which homes were built with licenses obtained through bribes.
Tourism and rampant construction over the past three decades have turned the Spanish coast from the French border all the way round and beyond the Rock of Gibraltar into a continuous mass of concrete.
In many cases, town halls bypassed planning regulations and took bribes in exchange for licenses.Spain says 40 percent of the coast is built on and nearly 70 percent of its beaches are surrounded by buildings.
"It was the politics of money today, forget about tomorrow." said Luis Cerrillo, head of the Ecologists in Action group in the Valencia region.
Spain, the world's No. 2 tourism destination, is the most popular choice for northern Europeans seeking to own a second home. Just British residents in Spain are believed to amount to nearly 1 million — though it's not certain how many own property.Most observers agree it is no coincidence that the coastal clean-up drive follows a real estate fraud scandal on the Costa del Sol in 2006 in which 80 people face charges.
Gordon Turnbull of Blue Med estate agents in the eastern Murcia region blames the corruption scandals and international banking crisis for dropping sales, but argues the coastal law might actually stimulate the market by making the coast prettier.
On two nearby beaches, he says there are the shells of two major apartment buildings, illegal and unfinished monstrosities.
"They put people off buying here," said Turnbull. "People appreciate seeing an eyesore getting knocked down. The government's not doing enough."

Enforcing a much-neglected 1988 law, the Socialist government is getting tough about what constitutes coastal public domain — the strip of land stretching back from the water's edge — and telling thousands of house and apartment owners their properties do not really belong to them."Out of the blue we've been told the house we have owned for more than 30 years is no longer ours," said retired British electronics engineer Clifford Carter, 59, who lives with his Spanish wife in La Casbah, a beach side complex in eastern Spain."The house was built legally, but now they say we can only live here until we die but can't sell the house or leave it to our children," said Carter.The fears of losing coastal villas come as Spain's real estate market is turning sour, a situation tied by some to the international banking crisis and its parent, the U.S. subprime mortgage scandal. While the troubles of Spain's overgrown coast are not directly tied to the banking crisis, both have involved shady business practices that often wind up in the lap of individual homeowners.Along the Spanish coast, a protest group formed in January says it already represents 20,000 people It notes that up to half a million others — apartment and villa owners and restaurant and hotel proprietors — could be affected. Most are Spaniards, but many are foreigners."This is the single biggest assault on private property we have seen in the recent history of Spain," said Jose Ortega, a spokesman for the group and lawyer for many of those affected.He says that at best, owners are being given 60-year concessions to live on the property or operate their businesses. Others, he says, are threatened with demolition.The government says the claims are exaggerated but insists the coast has to be saved.
"We're taking the law seriously," said the Environment Ministry's coastal department director, Jose Fernandez. "Previous governments didn't think it was important, while we have made it a priority."The government is finishing the process of drawing the line that designates what is state-owned and cannot contain private property along Spain's 6,200 miles of coast.
It plans to spend some $8 billion to fix up the coast. Some of the money will go to homeowners who, under the 1988 law, cannot sell to another private party but can sell to the state.Many people are suddenly finding they're on the wrong side of the dividing line. Ortega's group alleges the government is drawing it selectively, targeting individuals but shying away from tourist resorts.But it's not just individuals. The five-star Hotel Sidi lies a stone's throw from retired engineer Carter's house and the shoreline. Last December its owners were told it had been built on dune land protected by the 1988 law and must go. They are being offered a 60-year operating concession, after which it falls into state hands.
"We're afraid that they'll take away the property. It was built legally with all the papers," said Roger Zimmermann, the hotel's managing director. "This is our livelihood."Fernandez admits 1,300 structures have been demolished since the Socialists came to power in 2004 but insists most were constructed without permits. He denies the government has plans for mass demolitions or immediate expropriations. Barring exceptional cases, he says, people whose property is in the public domain will be able to continue living or working there.
Ortega says that is not comforting. "Today anybody who owns or wants to own a home or property on the coast can't be sure because at any moment the government can take it away from you without compensation," he said.
The economic impact on construction and tourism could be immense, Ortega argues.
This would be bad news for a real estate sector that has largely driven Spain's economy for the past decade but it now cooling sharply.

Christakis Philippou , Evangelia Liogka fraudsters netted £6million from bogus budget sites


Holiday fraudsters netted £6million from bogus budget sites.A gang of fraudulent travel agents who scammed more than 20,000 sun seekers out of their holidays have been jailed for up to seven years each. fraudsters advertising budget breaks on teletext and the internet. Sixty-four-year-old Christakis Philippou was the ring leader. His mistress Evangelia Liogka oversaw the agencies and call centres, bankrupt accountant Timothy Entwistle masterminded the gang’s finances, while Peter Kemp managed the day to day running of their 26 front firms. Together, prosecutors say they made the perfect team. The scam was simple - set up bogus budget holiday sites advertising bargain breaks in Greece, Spain and Cyprus, take holidaymakers’ money then close the firm down. Between 2003 and 2006 such sites made £6million for the gang funding a luxury lifestyle of plush homes, fast cars and of course exotic holidays. Today the gang were brought to justice for defrauding an estimated 20,000 people. At Southwark Crown Court the gang were jailed for up to seven years each.
It was credit card companies and travel industry body ABTA that were left to pick up the tab for the gang’s crime. The victims of this scam say long term lessons must be learned. Mr Reynolds thought because he booked with an ABTA approved company he would be safe, now he wants them to be more careful about whom they approve.

Wednesday 9 April 2008

Viktor Bout lawyer in Thailand, Lak Nitiwatanavichan, said he would fight extradition


Thai police dropped charges Wednesday against a Russian man accused of being one of the world's most prolific black market arms dealers, saying they will proceed with hearings to extradite him to the United States.Viktor Bout, a 41-year-old Russian, faces several counts in the U.S. of "conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization" for allegedly arranging to sell and transport weapons, including portable surface-to-air missiles to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.Lt. Gen. Phongphan Chayaphan, chief of the Thai police's Crime Suppression Division, said Bout would remain detained pending extradition hearings, which he estimated would take 60 days.
Bout's lawyer in Thailand, Lak Nitiwatanavichan, said he would fight extradition.
Bout, who has been called the "Merchant of Death," was arrested March 6 at a Bangkok hotel after a sting operation in which undercover U.S. agents pretended to be arms buyers from the Colombian rebels.He could face 15 years in prison on the U.S. charge. Thai authorities had held him on a charge of using the country as a base to negotiate a weapons deal with terrorists, for which he could have been imprisoned for 10 years.Regarded as one of the world's most wanted arms traffickers, Bout's alleged list of customers since the early 1990s includes African dictators and warlords, including former Liberian President Charles Taylor, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides of the civil war in Angola. In the process, he has been accused of breaking several U.N. arms embargoes.
Bout, who was purportedly the model for the arms dealer portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 movie "Lord of War," has denied the current allegations against him and any criminal activities in the past.Bout's lawyer Lak said the U.S. charges were political in nature and did not represent a criminal case because the Colombian government is fighting the FARC rebels over differences of ideology. He also said the conflict in Colombia is outside of U.S. jurisdiction.Extradition treaties between nations generally do not allow turning over suspects in cases of a political nature.Lak said the Thai attorney general's office was awaiting more documents from the United States before officially forwarding the extradition case to court.

Mark Longhurst Assets, including an Aston Martin, two Nissan Pathfinders and a Rolex watch,.


Mark Longhurst had links with crime gangs in Holland and Spain, was caught after an 18-month investigation. The 45-year-old, of Chapel House, Newcastle, admitted conspiring to supply cannabis and money laundering. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Longhurst enjoyed exotic holidays, expensive cars and jewellery. As well as a jail term, Longhurst, who was arrested in March last year, was given an eight-year travel restriction order to run from his release from custody. The court also made a confiscation order for almost £923,757 - the biggest ever secured by the Northumbria force. He has six months to repay the proceeds of his crimes or he will have seven years added to his sentence, the hearing heard. Det Insp John Cox, of Northumbria Police, said: "This investigation has not only smashed a national drugs ring, but it has also sent a clear message to those who deal in drugs that the police will leave no stone unturned to catch them. "Longhurst was operating at the very highest level and his involvement in the wholesale distribution of cannabis was making him a lucrative living. "He had a team of conspirators working on his orders, and during the investigation we taped him arranging drug deals and bragging about the fortune he was making from his crimes." In April 2006 police and customs seized £100,000 in euros and sterling that Longhurst was attempting to smuggle out of the country, the hearing heard. Assets, including an Aston Martin, two Nissan Pathfinders and a Rolex watch, were also seized.

Sunday 6 April 2008

Top members of the Canary Island Government were implicated in irregularities in the awarding of concessions for the placing of wind farms

El País reports that the corruption was revealed by the sacked General Director of the Siemeca wind company in 2005, who claimed that top members of the Canary Island Government were implicated in irregularities in the awarding of concessions for the placing of wind farms. Now the paper says that the Anti-corruption Prosecutor, Luis del Rio, has established the exchange of privileged information between Celso Perdomo and others, with the details revealed in a series of illegal emails. Perdomo is alleged to have paid 23,000 € into foreign bank accounts at the time. New has been breaking regarding corruption on the Canary Islands linked to the generation of wind power. Recordings made of conversations between the ex General Director for Industry of the Canary Regional Government. Celso Perdomo, and several businessmen have now come to light, following the first indications of corruption dating back to 2004 and 2005.
Now the prosecutor is calling for a six year prison sentence for Perdomo.
Finally Celso Perdomo was sacked from his post, and the Canary Island Supreme Court ruled that the concessions awarded were no longer in place. Now a new tender is being published offering concessions for some 600 projects for wind farms on the islands.

José Luis Hernández, the President of the Polaris World group linked to perversion of the course of justice Mayor



The Mayor faces charges of perversion of the course of justice and the mis-use of public funds.Daniel García Madrid from the Partido Popular is reported to have exchanged building land with worthless plots in a deal with the Polaris World company
More details on the latest corruption allegations in Torre Pacheco, where the PP Mayor, Daniel Garcia Madrid, has been ordered to prison without bail by instruction judge in San Javier, Salvador Calero. He has replaced the earlier judge in the case, Aránzazu Moreno, who is on maternity leave.
El País reports that the mayor made a plot of land for building available to the Mar Menor Golf Resort, from the Polaris World company, in exchange for other plots of land described as ‘useless’. The difference in worth of the two plots is estimated by the prosecutor to be as much as five or six million €, but Polaris World was only called on to reimburse the public coffers by 455,331 €.Daniel García Madrid is linked to alleged irregularities in both Torre Pacheco and Fuente Álamo and the President of Polaris World is also chaged in the case
The Partido Popular Mayor of Torre Pacheco, Daniel García Madrid, has been arrested this morning in connection with alleged real estate corruption in the town, and also in Fuente Álamo. The arrest follows that of the municipal architect, Ramon Cabrera, who was detained in the same case on March 31, and came at 8,30 this morning when the Mayor was on his way from his home to the Town Hall.
He has now been taken to the courts in San Javier to go before the judge Salavador Calero. Reports indicate he faces charges of carrying out activities not compatible with a public servant, fraud, misuse of public funds, influence peddling, bribery, perversion of the course of justice and revealing secrets,
Another person who is charged in the case is the businessman Facundo Armero, an ex shareholder in Polaris World, who is reported to have received favoured treatment from the Town Halls in Torre Pacheco and Fuente Álamo.
Also facing charges in the case are the town planning councillor, Santiago Meroño, and the councillor for public works, Josefa Marín.José Luis Hernández, the President of the Polaris World group, one of the leading companies in residential tourism, is also charged in the case, as is a second businessman, named only with the initials J.M.F.F.

Saturday 5 April 2008

Ketamine is a veterinary drug, but is hot in the trance/club circuit abroad

The manufacture of ketamine, a hallucinogen, is legal in India. Not classified as a controlled substance, it can be bulk-manufactured Ketamine is a veterinary drug, but is hot in the trance/club circuit abroad International pressure has led India to notify that exporters must get the nod from the Commissioner of Drugs
Legally manufactured in India. Illegally consumed at rave parties from Ibiza to California. That's ketamine hydrochloride—the chemical that induces euphoria, triggers off hallucinations and keeps party animals in a trance through the night. Ironically, in India, it is classified as a veterinary drug primarily used to anaesthetise pets—thus available over the counter. However, ketamine has attracted very little attention in this country since its abuse among Indians is limited largely to Goa's trance and techno music crowd.
Ketamine can be injected, snorted or imbibed orally. The effect of the drug varies from person to person, and can last up to 24 hours. Its use can result in delirium, amnesia and impaired motor function. While the drug was tried by acid gurus like Timothy Leary in the '60s, its popularity is linked to the dance-trance movement taking wings in the '80s. Called 'Special K' by the rave party crowd, it is taken along with other drugs like cocaine and has suddenly become popular as an alternative to LSD. Long-term abuse can lead to loss of memory and eyesight besides nervous and mental disorders. An overdose can be lethal.
In India, ketamine is manufactured legally since it is not classified as a controlled drug. But evidence of it being shipped in bulk to Southeast Asia and the Americas has alerted drug enforcement officials. This year, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 53 kg of the drug concealed in export shipments from Tamil Nadu. Earlier, 80 kg of it was found abandoned by a passenger at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. There have also been seizures in Mumbai. Says Rajiv Walia of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): "There has been a lot of concern in Southeast Asian countries. There have been bilateral discussions with India to include the drug on the controlled list here."
Lately, international pressure has led to India taking the first step to check the trafficking of the drug. It has issued a notification that makes it mandatory for exporters of ketamine to obtain a clearance certificate from the office of the commissioner of drugs, Gwalior. "This new notification will prove to be a major impediment to the trafficking of ketamine from India," Dr P. Babu, additional director general, DRI, Chennai, told Outlook. Tamil Nadu has been identified as the hub of the illicit trade in the drug.
Indian authorities are yet to get a fix on how much ketamine is being manufactured in the country. Investigations reveal that much of the drug originates from Maharashtra and Gujarat. According to DRI sources, the directorate has sought information from state governments to get a fix on the leakages that are finding its way into the illicit trade. But going by seizures, it could easily run into several hundreds of kilos being trafficked beyond India's borders annually.
What drives the illegal trade is the easy availability of ketamine and the huge profit margins involved. One kg of the drug costs Rs 35,000 in India but retails at Rs 10 lakh abroad. Little wonder then that India, which bulk-manufactures the drug, is a major source of ketamine.

Thursday 3 April 2008

Raymond Nevitt the walking fraud machine believed to be in Puerto Banus

Nevitt, who vanished after a conviction in 2006, is believed to be in Puerto Banus or Marbella in Spain.

International arrest warrants have been issued for Raymond Nevitt, 43, from Manchester, after his conviction at the city's crown court on Thursday.
He was found guilty in his absence of five charges of fraudulent trading worth £3.25m after an 11-week trial. He was first convicted of defrauding the taxpayer in 2006 but was released on bail by a judge before being sentenced. Manchester Crown Court heard Nevitt described as a "slick, brash and forceful" man who once took part in the Gumball Rally. He was featured on television alongside celebrities such as Damon Hill and Vic Reeves during the international road-race.
Nevitt used money from his firm, computer parts company Ravelle, to fund his lavish lifestyle, including exotic trips and fast cars. Greater Manchester Police began investigating the "Ravelle Group" of companies, including PC2GO Ltd and "Just Printers Ltd" in 2001.
As his firms were going under Nevitt forged paperwork so firms would lend him money on the strength of bogus orders. IBM Global Financing lost £1,600,000 whilst Barclays Sales Finance lost £654,857. Other creditors lost about £1,000,000, the court was told. Det Con Julian King, from Greater Manchester Police Commercial Fraud Unit, said: "This was a complex and elaborate fraud that allowed Nevitt to live an opulent and lavish lifestyle. "Several small companies also failed both in the UK and on the Continent as a result of this fraud. "Ray Nevitt has lots of contacts in the north-west, and some areas of Spain, and many people will recognise him. If anyone knows where he is, I urge them to call us."

Ten year old boy who was allegedly raped by four classmates allegedly recorded by one of the aggressors on their mobile phone

Ten year old boy who was allegedly raped by four classmates in the Almeria town of Adra, is suffering nightmares and panic attacks according to a psychologists report drawn up at the Mental Health centre at El Ejido. The attack, by four classmates who are all also under age, allegedly took place close to the CEIP Nueva Andalucía school in the town, although not on the premises and outside school hours. The medical report advises a change of school and place of residence for the victim who is also on medication. The victim’s mother, Maria Teresa S.B. has called on the Guardia Civil and under age prosecutor to re-open the case which was initially archived as those accused had not reached the penal age of 14 in Spain. The attack was also allegedly recorded by one of the aggressors on their mobile phone.

Robbing the money from the collection box placed where the faithful go to light a candle.

Security cameras at the San Juan Bautista Church in Coín, Málaga, have allowed the Civil Guard to identify who was responsible for robbing the money from the collection box placed where the faithful go to light a candle. Three women, two sisters and another local woman, all of them Spanish, were recorded making off with the collection, estimated at 120 €, and what’s more all three turned round to face directly into the camera. The recording shows how one kept watch while the other two broke the padlock.

Malaga banks held up in the space of five minutes by a man in a blue wig

Malaga banks held up in the space of five minutes by a man in a blue wig last week. Witnesses say an individual burst into a branch of Unicaja in Malaga on Tuesday morning, brandishing a shotgun. He was dressed in sunglasses, a green jacket and a blue wig according to the two customers and three members of staff in the bank at the time. Although the gun appeared to be fake, employees handed over the contents of the till to the intruder, who fled the scene. Just five minutes later police received a call from an office of Banesto on the Calle Frigilana. Two men, one of whom fitted the description of the robber in Unicaja, allegedly threatened staff with a sawn-off shotgun.But the second robbery did not go as planned. They escaped with a grand total of just under 40 euros before making a getaway on a motorbike. Witnesses say the robbers attacked a 30-year-old man who needed medical treatment as a result.

Wednesday 2 April 2008

Costa del Sol villas and quality apartments in good locations are crashing by as much as £20,000 to £80,000.

Sellers are also gravitating towards auction houses, where properties can achieve a fast sale at knock-down prices. Inez Rix of Direct Auctions says she has seen a huge increase in business from owners desperately trying to offload property. "Things are getting worse and people are dropping prices drastically where they can."
On Direct Auction's website, properties are being listed as much as 60 per cent below their original valuations. Banks have been incredibly slow to alter their valuation criteria and take account of the crash, but nonetheless, their figures show the kinds of reductions that are now available. A one two-bedroom apartment near Fuengirola, for example, was recently valued at £148,000 and has dropped to £84,000 – that's £64,000 less. Another two-bed property in the same location is listed at £44,000 less than its valuation. One lovely villa in Marbella valued on paper at £570,000 is now on the market at £492,000, a drop of nearly £80,000.
As property prices dip, Rix has seen an increase in the number of owners falling into negative equity, and the banks are sitting on a growing cache of repossessions. One would expect the institutions to sell them off at rock-bottom prices but this is not happening, because there is no precedent of mass repossessions in Spain.
"Many people realise they aren't going to sell their homes in a month of Sundays and are just walking away," says Rix. "The banks are being slow to sell properties to cover their costs but we expect more properties to come on to the market over the next two years." Which means anyone prepared to play a waiting game could bag a real bargain. Most properties showing big reductions are new-builds, bought by investors hoping to sell before completion and in advance of the mortgage kicking in, a practice known as flipping. However, there are also rural properties and exclusive estates being sold at rock-bottom prices by owners who have simply been caught out by the upheaval.
Derek Blaney stopped selling off-plan several years ago when he saw the market becoming overheated and says more responsible agents are glad that the recent scandals and market forces have made the industry more transparent. "Things had to be cleaned up," he says. "Property was being seen as a sheer commodity, people were buying through greed and with no emotional attachment."
Who can blame buyers when they were being wooed with promises of huge returns that now seem impossible? With the credit crisis biting deep, there may be further room for prices in Spain to fall. For those who bought in Spain a year or two ago, none of this will come as any consolation. But for those looking to buy a place in the sun, it's worth following the selling prices of the nicer properties, and steering well clear of vast developments. At some stage, the outlook will change. It may not boom, but it must at some stage level off. And buyers who get the timing right could be on to a good deal indeed.