Santiago Mainar, the forestry worker accused and found guilty of killing Miguel Grima, the Mayor of the town of Fago

Santiago Mainar, the forestry worker accused and found guilty of killing Miguel Grima, the Mayor of the town of Fago, has been sentenced to twenty years and nine months in prison. The prosecutor had asked for just three months more for the killing and the illegal possession of firearms.The accused was told the verdict in hospital in Zaragoza where he was admitted last Tuesday after a suspected overdose of pills, although his family who have visited say he has denied trying to commit suicide.
He will also have to pay 105,000 € in compensation to the victim’s family.
The court case was heard in the Huesca provincial court last month, and the murder has achieved widespread coverage in the Spanish media since it took place in January 2007. Mainar at first admitted the crime, but two days later denied it in court, and in his last statement, made on November 25, he continued to defend his innocence.

Torrevieja shotgun fired in the street

young man brought panic to Torrevieja on Friday by firing a shotgun in the street. It happened at 1020am in the centre of the town in Calle San Pascual and Calle Villa de Madrid.The local man fired several shots into the air causing no injuries but sending pedestrians in the area running for cover.More than twenty police and civil guards, some of them with pistols in hand took part in the operation to capture the man who is said to suffer mental problems. He was first taken to the Civil Guard barracks and then later transferred to a health centre.

76 kilos of hashish hidden in the airbag of their car.

Police in Madrid have arrested two people who were found to have 76 kilos of hashish hidden in the airbag of their car.There were ‘acorns’ of hashish were also hidden in the side back panels of the car.Police had been following the car since Granada, and were aware that the traffickers were using a second advanced vehicle to advise the presence of any controls.Police followed the cars before intercepting when they headed to a district in the north of the capital. Those arrested had used a sophisticated electronic system which was activated by remote control to gain access to the drugs.

eight Spaniards, six men and two women, all aged between 20 and 45, have been arrested in Santa Pola, Alicante for growing and then selling marihuana

eight Spaniards, six men and two women, all aged between 20 and 45, have been arrested in Santa Pola, Alicante for growing and then selling marihuana. Five kilos of the drug was recovered by the Guardia Civil in the operation and they note that one of those detained kept the drug in shoe boxes, classified by its quality. Three homes in Elche were also searched as part of the operation and precision scales and a sum of cash seized.

British man and woman, both in their 50’s have been arrested at the El Altet airport

British man and woman, both in their 50’s have been arrested at the El Altet airport in Alicante after they were found to be carrying 1,540 grams of cocaine.
The two are named only with initials in reports, but the man is known to be 53 year old A.M., and the woman 57 year old A.G.The arrest, on charges of a crime against public health, took place at about 1pm last Friday December 4th in the arrivals terminal of the airport. The drugs were found hidden in the rucksack that the woman was carrying while the man also had two packets of the drug packed with his belongings.
The couple will appear in court shortly.

Alleged Mafia Busts Across Southern Italy possible Costa connection

In three separate and unrelated sweeps across Italy police have arrested more than 100 suspected mobsters and seized $360 million in assets allegedly implicating the Parisi clan from the Sacra Corona Unita or Puglian Mafia, the Cosa Nostra or Sicilian Mafia, and the Somma-La Marca clan from the Camorra or Neapolitan Mafia as reported by Adnkronos. The largest bust involved the arrest of 74 alleged members and associates of the Parisi clan, including politicians and businessmen, in the city of Bari as reported by Nicole Winfield for The Associated Press:The 48-year-old head of the clan, Savino Parisi, was arrested overnight along with his closest associates. They are accused of attempted murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, interfering with the bidding process for public contracts and money laundering.

Spanish lawyer has disappeared along with an estimated €5 million of client’s money

British expats are amongst 26 investors who fear the worst after a Spanish lawyer has disappeared along with an estimated €5 million of client’s money. The lawyer in question Jose Luis Maseda was handling transactions for the purchase of new holiday homes in the Costa del Sol.Maseda, who speaks fluent English, is believed to have handled the money, whilst advising his clients to invest in a number of suspect apartment developers across the south of Spain.One development that Maseda is thought to have dealt with is the controversial golf resort in Antequera, which is currently under investigation.The lawyer’s Benalmadena based company Eurobrokers has now closed and Spanish police have confirmed that they are looking into a series of allegations, which date back more than five years.Detective Juan Martin, who is leading the investigation, said “As the investigation goes on, more people are coming forward saying they have lost money, and Maseda´s name is mentioned.”

Simone Castello was arrested in Archena, some 24 kms from Murcia City

9 people were arrested in Palmermo for links to the Sicilian mafia's former boss of bosses.A suspect has been arrested in Murcia in connection with an operation by police in Italy against the Sicilian mafia which saw nine people taken into custody in the island’s capital, Palermo. An eleventh arrest warrant was issued for another suspect who is already serving time in prison.All 11 are believed to have provided help to the Sicilian mafia’s former ‘boss of bosses’, Bernardo Provenzano, during the 43 years he was on the run. He was arrested in 2006.The Murcia suspect is named by EFE as Simone Castello, a 60 year old who had moved to the Region and set up an import and export company of fruit and vegetables with links to Sicily. It’s valued at 2.5 million € and it’s understood the company’s headquarters were sealed by National Police as part of the operation.He was arrested in Archena, some 24 kms from Murcia City, early on Tuesday.

kidnap in Mijas

Two men, reported as German, have been arrested by the Civil Guard on suspicion of plotting a kidnap in Mijas, allegedly planning to target a family in the jewellery industry. Diario Sur reports that the husband trades in jewels and diamonds.
Officers were called out to the family home earlier this week after the wife, noted by Sur as a foreigner, reported that she had noticed someone following her that day and had then seen a suspicious car parked outside her house. The Civil Guard located the vehicle nearby shortly after arriving at the property and found suspicious items in a search of the two suspects’ car, including an electric defence weapon and surveillance equipment.The wife recognised one of the suspects as the man who had been following her, and both she and her husband identified him as the person they had reported to police in the summer over suspicions that he had been keeping the family under watch. They are understood to have told officers on that occasion that they were being extorted.

50 violent robberies across Alicante’s Marina Baixa and Marina Alta

Civil Guard have solved a string of 50 violent robberies across Alicante’s Marina Baixa and Marina Alta with the arrest of 9 people across the border with Valencia, in Gandia and Beniarjó. All the gang members, apart from a woman from Honduras, are Kosovar Albanians.The arrests took place this Tuesday when the six properties used by the gang were searched by officers from the Civil Guard, who seized a sawn-off shotgun, two pistols and 17,000 € in cash. A large amount of stolen items were recovered, including laptop computers, jewellery and watches, cameras and video cameras.EFE notes that cocaine and cannabis were also found on the premises.

Prostitutes in Sevilla are set to jump to the top of the council housing lists under new legislation from the City Hall

Prostitutes in Sevilla are set to jump to the top of the council housing lists under new legislation from the City Hall. The new legislation considers the prostitutes as victims and considers the best way to get them off the streets is by encouraging them to chose alternatives. The City Hall is carrying out a study into problem, and drawing up a map to show the districts of risk in the city, which will be updated every six months.New information advertising campaigns are being started but the main change in the legislation is that the prostitutes, be they female, male or transsexual will not be fined, but their clients will be. Fining the client is a departure to the methods chosen in other Spanish cities such as Barcelona, Lleida and Granada, and any premises in Sevilla found to be making money from prostitution will lose their licence.It’s hoped that this will eventually lead to an end to street prostitution and for those forced into the activity finding other ways of generating an income, and hence the decision to make them priority cases for council housing.Mayor of Sevilla, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín, presented the details of the new legislation, and said to those who described prostitution as the oldest profession in the world, that in fact it was the oldest form of slavery.

Spanish men captive in a house on an urbanisation in La Cala del Moral

Civil Guard are seeking a gang of kidnappers who held two Spanish men captive in a house on an urbanisation in La Cala del Moral last week, before leaving them there bound hand and foot when they realised they had made a mistake.The kidnappers, reported by Diario Sur as foreign, were armed with guns fitted with silencers when they arrived at the property on the afternoon of Monday 23rd November, demanding the payment of 1 million € to release their captives. Their victims insisted that they had no money and their assailants finally realised they had mistaken their target, making their escape in a getaway car driven by a third man who was waiting outside.
The two captives were left tied up when the kidnappers fled, but managed to escape their bonds with the help of a knife and contact emergency services for help.

Arrest in Málaga, Sevilla and Madrid of 9 members of a drugs network which smuggled cocaine into the country from South America

investigation launched by the Organised Crime and Drugs Squad on the Costa del Sol has resulted in the arrest in Málaga, Sevilla and Madrid of 9 members of a drugs network which smuggled cocaine into the country from South America. National Police said 20 kilos of cocaine were seized in the police operation.Led by two people from Nigeria, the network used couriers to bring the drugs in through Spanish airports hidden inside pictures and other items in their luggage. It’s understood the couriers were recruited by Spanish members of the network and were paid between 4,000 and 6,000 €.Officers also recovered 3,400 € in cash.

730 cases of corruption currently open in the Spanish judiciary

total of 730 cases of corruption currently open in the Spanish judiciary, 594 judicial proceedings and 136 investigations opened by the prosecutors’ office.
The Socialist party is the one most affected. The PSOE has 264 cases, the PP 200, 43 against the Canary Islands Coalition, 30 against the Catalan group, Convergencia i Unió, 24 against the Partido Andalucista, 20 against left wingers IU, and 17 against the now defunct GIL party which was based in Marbella. The remaining cases come from Unión Mallorquina, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, the Bloque Nactionalista Galego and the PNV Basque Nationalists.The number represents about 1% of the total number of 66,000 councillors and mayors across the country.The numbers were given in Congress on Wednesday by the Attorney General, Cándido Conde-Pumpido, who in answer to a Partido Popular question, said the data showed that the judiciary was working against all political parties, He ended his statement with a call for calm from the public.

Arrested the two alleged Czech hit men who are accused of killing the Mayor of Polop

Arrested the two alleged Czech hit men who are accused of killing the Mayor of Polop, Alejandro Ponsoda, outside his home on the night of October 19 2007.It takes the number of people arrested in the case to five, three of whom have already been sent to prison on remand by the judge.The two alleged hitmen were arrested in Benidorm and La Cala de Finestrat, and had been linked to one of those detained, Raúl Montero Trevejo who already has drug trafficking charges against him. It’s thought the group planned the crime in a meeting held in an alternative nightclub, and that the murder was carried out following the Mayor’s failure to support a real estate project.

140 kilos of cocaine brought into port in Tarragona on containers of bananas imported from Ecuador

Three suspects have been arrested in Valencia after the discovery by the Civil Guard of more than 140 kilos of cocaine brought into port in Tarragona on containers of bananas imported from Ecuador. It’s understood the cargo was brought in on a ship flying under the flag of Malta and was bound for a company in Valencia, leading detectives to the arrest in Valencia of a Spanish woman and two men from Colombia.The Civil Guard began their investigation in mid-October, saying in a statement released this weekend that documentation linking the suspects to the imported containers was found in searches of their homes. Officers also found more than 4,000 € in cash, precision weighing scales and small quantities of cocaine prepared ready for sale.All three have been remanded to prison after bail was refused by the judge.

Spanish Civil Guard incursions a violation of British sovereignty

British Embassy in September described Civil Guard incursions as a violation of British sovereigntyIt’s been revealed by EFE this Sunday, that, following two incidents this September, the UK asked Spain to stop Civil Guard ‘incursions’ into waters considered to belong to Gibraltar, considering them as a violation of British sovereignty. The incidents concerned were on 4th and 7th September, when Civil Guard patrol boats seen within the Rock’s 3 mile perimeter were asked to depart after the Spanish officers reportedly failed to justify their presence with a valid explanation.The British Embassy in Madrid said in a note sent to Spain’s Foreign Ministry on the 18th of that month that such incursions are a cause for deep concern and, as a violation of British sovereignty over the waters, are unacceptable. As EFE quotes, the Embassy referred to the incidents as going against the ‘positive spirit of cooperation’ shown by the historic visit to the Rock of Spain’s Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, on 21st July as part of the three-way talks on Gibraltar.

HMS Scimitar was using Flag No.1 during gunnery practice _ not the Spanish national flag.

"HMS Scimitar was using Flag No.1 during gunnery practice _ not the Spanish national flag. Flag No.1 is traditionally used on gunnery targets due to its high visibility. However, we recognize its similarity to the Spanish national flag and will use an alternative marker during gunnery practice in this area in the future," a ministry spokesman in London said on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.
When a Spanish Civil Guard patrol boat approached the British vessel, the sailors in it quickly pulled the buoy out of the water, covered up the machine guns it had been using to fire at the marker, and warned through a bullhorn that the Spanish boat was in its way and head to leave, the newspaper El Mundo reported.Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said the British ambassador has promised "a thorough investigation and to demand the corresponding accountability, taking the necessary measures so that an incident like this does not happen again."

Murder of Alejandro Ponsoda

Several members of the Unidad Central Operativa (UCO), a sub-unit of the Guardia Civil, have confirmed that they arrested three individuals last Thursday in connection with the murder of Alejandro Ponsoda, the former Mayor of Polop. At least two of the suspects arrested in Albatera in the south of Alicante Province this week are known to be of Czech origin. Those arrested are thought to be ‘proxy’ killers, hired by a third party to get rid of the Mayor who allegedly would not participate in city-planning irregularities. It is known that Ponsoda, the Mayor for 12 years, was against certain proposed urban developments and, despite the arrests, the authorities are still investigating the possibility that members of the Polop Council and their advisors are implicated. After more than two years, the seemingly stalled investigation was given renewed impetus after members of the UCO carried out surveillance on suspect premises in the town of Albatera. The specialised undercover unit acted independently of any other police authority, including the Police Local, when they raided the house anticipating a weapons cache. Instead, and after collecting evidence, they unexpectedly found a connection with the Ponsoda crime. Ponsoda was gunned down as he sat in his car shortly after arriving at his home. A British neighbour and acquaintance of the Mayor related how he had heard what he thought to be fireworks going off outside his window. On further investigation, he saw Ponsoda in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, having sustained three bullet wounds to the head and neck from two separate small calibre weapons. The 55-year-old Mayor was rushed to hospital in a comatose state; he succumbed to his injuries eight days later in the Alicante General Hospital.
At the time the village of Chirles and the home of Alejandro Ponsoda, was sealed off and an extensive search was mounted for the assassins. It was stated at the time that they had escaped on foot through the fields and myriad of tracks and paths in this area. The sophisticated ‘hit’ was believed to be the work of professional killers. In a town of just under 2,400 registered inhabitants (a third of the population is foreign); rumours immediately began to spread as to the motive for this classic ‘Mafia style’ execution. The OCU continued to focus their investigation on issues surrounding city-planning programs such as the Plan of Actuación Integral (PAI) and the General Plan of Ordenación Urbana (PGOU) but nothing could be proved one way or the other. The murder of Ponsoda has caused a huge rift in the community, the residents are ‘closed lipped’ about the whole issue. The present mayor of Polop and former Councillor for Urbanism under Ponsoda, Juan Cano, expressed his personal satisfaction after hearing someone had been arrested in relation to the crime. “They (the police) told us to us expect an arrest in the near future. I feel the pages to this story can be closed after the book has been open too long.”

British Navy patrol firing at the Spanish flag.

tensions between Gibraltar and Spain are rising after the Guardia Civil came across a British Navy patrol which, the paper says, was carrying out firing practice last Tuesday on a buoy on which the Spanish flag was printed.El Mundo reports that the British cleared away their exercise when they noted the presence of the Guardia Civil, but the paper highlights that they had been firing at the Spanish flag.
The paper says that incidents between the Guardia Civil and the British Navy patrols around The Rock are ever more common. Spain believes such incidents only benefit the smugglers in the area and the Spanish Government indicated over the summer that they want to reach a new agreement with Britain on the joint control of the waters around Gibraltar.The new British Ambassador in Madrid, Giles Paxman, has been called in to give an explanation, and is reported by El Mundo to have presented his ‘excuses’ for the ‘error of judgement and lack of sensitivity’ by members of the Royal Navy.
The Partido Popular has asked the Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, to explain the incident to Congress.

Italian gang of armed bank robbers are in custody after the initial 3 arrests after the Málaga robbery

An Italian gang of armed bank robbers responsible for a string of assaults on branches in Málaga, Alicante, Valencia and Murcia have been arrested by National Police following the earlier arrest in Málaga of three of the group.Investigations then led National Police detectives to Granada province where the remaining two gang members were taken into custody at a service station in Loja. One of the two arrested there was the mother of another gang member and had a lengthy record in Italy for previous bank robberies.The Interior Ministry gives the gang’s haul during the time they operated in Spain as more than 150,000 €.

Michael Dermot McArdle was found guilty of negligent homicide at his trial

Supreme Court has confirmed the Málaga provincial court’s verdict in the death in Marbella in February 2000 of a woman who fell to her death from a hotel balcony. The victim’s Irish husband was found guilty of negligent homicide at his trial and Spain’s highest court has now confirmed that ruling after refusing to admit for consideration the appeal placed by his lawyers.The sentence was previously confirmed by the Andalucía High Court some months ago.It happened on 11th February 2000, the day, Diario Sur notes, that the couple, 39 year old Michael Dermot McArdle, from Dundalk, and his wife Kelly-Anne, had arrived in Marbella with their 3 year old son. The jury in the case agreed that the victim fell from the balcony during a row with her husband, and considered that he had no intention of killing her and had, in fact, tried to stop her from falling.The Andalucía High Court however said when it confirmed the lower court’s ruling that the accused had failed to observe the most fundamental duty of care which any person should observe in such a dangerous situation.

Juan Antonio Yagüe, a former GIL councillor in Marbella and brother to the town’s ex Mayor, Marisol Yagüe, has accepted serving nine sentences

Juan Antonio Yagüe, a former GIL councillor in Marbella and brother to the town’s ex Mayor, Marisol Yagüe, has accepted serving nine sentences of 15 months in prison for planning charges against him which were due to come to court in Málaga. The news of the deal was revealed by Diario Sur this Monday and it’s understood that Yagüe has accepted serving the terms which had been requested by the prosecution service.Yagüe fled the country in 2006 and was arrested earlier this year on returning to Spain from Venezuela, after giving himself up to the Spanish Consulate there and flying home under a safe conduct order. He was wanted under an international arrest warrant after failing to turn up for a one-year sentence for planning crimes.The nine other cases against him also relate to planning crimes for which other Marbella ex councillors, including another former Mayor, Julián Muñoz, have already been found guilty. Yagüe was out of the country when their trials took place. They relate to licences issued to build new homes on land which was classified as unsuitable for development

British man is in Intensive Care after a stabbing incident in Fuengirola

British man is in Intensive Care after a stabbing incident in Fuengirola on Friday night. The 23 year old, named by Diario Sur as D.S., is reported to have suffered two stab wounds in the back and another in his chest.It happened on a street near the town’s Rey de España paseo marítimo, and all that is known about the assailant is the brief description the victim was able to give to the bouncer of a nearby nightclub, the Mai Tai, which he managed to reach as he sought help for his injuries. He described his attacker as short and thin, possibly Moroccan, wearing a white hooded jacket.The British man was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella, where he remains in a serious condition.

British womans body found floating in off Bolnuveo Beach in Mazarrón

body found floating in off Bolnuveo Beach in Mazarrón, near the Isla Cueva de los Lobos, on Sunday morning has been identified as a British woman reported missing by her family. Her name has not been released to the press, but she is understood from EFE to have lived locally, in the Bolnuevo area.There has been no indication as yet of exactly when the 49 year old was reported missing to the Civil Guard.

Seven youths, some of them mere children, were held by police over the weekend after a riot broke out in the Camino de los Almendrales district

Seven youths, some of them mere children, were held by police over the weekend after a riot broke out in the Camino de los Almendrales district of Malaga City on Saturday 31 October. In the course of the gang fight, one 17-year-old was gravely injured and remains in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit of the Carlos Haya Hospital.
Another youth was also stabbed in the same incident. 20-year-old “AJD”, as police have identified him, is said to be in a stable condition.
Local police were called to the vicinity of the brawl, but once the seriousness of the injuries was known, the crime scene was handed over to the Homicide Unit of the National Police Corps. The investigation has thus far centred on reconstruc-ting the events of Saturday afternoon. The seven youths who spent the weekend in custody were identified by local officers as having been involved in the fighting, and having tried to flee the scene at the sound of police sirens.
The gang-based “rumble” was said by witnesses to have erupted at about one o’clock in the afternoon in a neighbourhood known locally as “El Puebecito”, a favourite haunt of Malaga city’s teenage gangs.First reports, taken exclusively from gang members loyal to the stabbed 20-year-old, suggest that the youngster who is now in a coma attacked the older man with a knife, allegedly in connection with an outstanding grievance. According to this (admittedly unreliable) version, the 17-year-old then wounded himself with his own weapon.Police are stressing that this account is unlikely to be true, given the seriousness of the injuries suffered by the teenager, which point to a severe beating in addition to the life-threatening stab wound.A local resident alerted the police after seeing a youngster soaked in blood. The teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was rushed to hospital by ambulance after lapsing into a coma at the scene.

Allegations by a man arrested for robbery that he and his girlfriend were beaten by local police officers

Allegations by a man arrested for robbery that he and his girlfriend were beaten by local police officers after they were taken into custody in June 2006 have been heard by a court and it looks as if a trial will now almost certainly take place after the Alicante provincial court recently turned down appeals placed by each of the nine defendants against their charges in the Torrevieja torture case.Twelve police officers, two Partido Popular councillors, and a nursing assistant at the Vega Baja district hospital are implicated, with possible charges ranging from torture, document forgery and failure to pursue a crime.A number of officers are charged in the case, as is the councillor who had responsibility for the local police force at the time, Pedro Valero, who is charged with others of attempting to cover up what allegedly happened. Sources report that he could face between one and four years in prison and the police inspector, Carlos María I.F., whose home was the target of the attempted burglary, faces up to eight years behind bars. The couple were arrested while trying to break into the home of the member of the local police force.The Guatemalan man who made the allegations of torture is due to appear in court to answer charges of attempted robbery having been arrested on 23rd June last year when he was caught allegedly trying to break into the house, his girlfriend was arrested at the time with him.The human rights organisation ‘Pro Derechos Humanos de España’ is placing a public interest suit in the case and is understood to be claiming civil responsibility from Torrevieja Town Hall should any compensation be granted in the sentence.

67 year old British man died in Torrevieja hospital yesterday just hours after being hit by a vehicle

67 year old British man died in Torrevieja hospital yesterday just hours after being hit by a vehicle while walking along a pavement along Avenida Francisco Casanovas.
The impact was so violent that the man was embedded between the car and the brick wall of a house.

Five hundred people gathered in Constitution Square on Friday evening to protest at the murder of Juan Jose Martinez Roman

Five hundred people gathered in Constitution Square on Friday evening to protest at the murder of Juan Jose Martinez Roman on Monday afternoon.The city’s popular Notary was shot dead as he attempted to calm down two armed robbers during a bungled raid on his office. The robbers had earlier broken into the office cashbox from which they stole the contents, believed to be in the region of 400 euros.
Although the sizeable crowd was largely calm there were calls for the maximum sentence for what was described as a despicable crime. A spokesman representing the large business community in attendance, read a statement asking the "Society Torrevejense not stand by thinking that these tragedies only happen to others.
He said that the whole population should act as one in condemning the murder "because we must put a price on each of our lives” He asked if it was worth dying for just 3 or 400 euros, or even a million. “Life is priceless for us all” he stressed. “Today we pray for the memory of Juan José, tomorrow we could be in his position”. The statement was followed by applause and five minutes of silence.
Gabriel Marcos, a friend of Snr Martinez, who also works as an officer in the Notary then read a eulogy written by local poet Miguel Hernandez “la elegía a Ramón Sijé” He too called for the maximum penalty for the murder. Although there was a banner bearing words of protest the organizers decided that it would not be shown at the gathering. The evening finished once again with loud applause in the memory of the popular notary.

British man has been charged with starting a fire

British man has been charged with starting a fire which affected 1.4 hectares of scrub in the Las Fuentes area of the city on October 6 this year. Named with the initials W.T.G.L., Diario Sur reports he faces charges of negligence after carrying out an unauthorised fire in his finca in the area, which led to the blaze.