Restaurant
THE MAGIC OF MARBELLA
S QUALITY PROPERTIE PROPERTIES SELLING SELLING QUALITY 51 YEARS FOR 53 YEARS IN MARBELLA FOR INMARBELLA
A
ll about
Tel. (+34) 952
863 750
www.panorama.es Romano and Offices at Puente Club hotel opposite the Marbella Regulated by RICS
APRIL 2023 www.theolivepress.es
MARVELLOUS
Jon Clarke
offers an insider guide to the gem of Andalucia’s crown
Grace TIMELESS GLAMOUR: while Kelly and Hugh Grant, today beach yoga class on the of La Zagaleta. hillside enclave him recently in to ticular, in the luxury rose, he looked But, when I was actually introduced it was ‘merely a of flinty French Hill star told me agents’. He ceryou’d exWIRLING a glass London, the Notting English gentleman tool for local estate but mostly he’s every bit the suave good marketing explained, pect of Hugh Grant. a group of friends on a warm tainly loves the place, he film. on business or to which has rightan eyelid. Holding court with down, these days, resort, hardly anyone batted was at its very It perfectly summed up the being southern Spain’s early summer evening, after all, and Marbella the reputation of in the air, the bougainIt was early June, so fully earnedfor the rich and famous. of orange blossom increasingtable. There was finest; the scent playground and shakers and, candles on everyto be taking in. to remain Euof tycoons, movers villaea in full bloom, Marbella manages throngs of tourists quick snap Full much else for thethe restaurant owner I took a declined to ly, tech billionaires,for a spot of business, alongside but At the request of rope’s top location star on my iPhone, 2 Continues on page (left) of the Hollywood terrace bonhomie. sparked rumours have interrupt his convivial Marbella partrips to in the resort, in Grant’s regular he owns a house over the years that
Photos by Jon Clarke
S
FOR LIVE SPORT YOUR GO TO IRISH BAR OF THE WEEK! AND MUSIC EVERY DAY WEEKENDS: 14:00PM-02:00
AM | +34 952 779 537
| info@thecladdaghirishbar.com
| Avda. Arias Maldonado
FREE
APRIL FOOLED
How an Olive Press reporter’s joke tortilla caused a national outrage
Page 6
16, Marbella, Malaga
29601
OLIVE PRESS
The
WEEKDAYS: 18:00PM-2:00AM
The Olive Press runs a rule over the latest, hottest new restaurants and hotels in Spain’s most glamorous resort, see inside
ANDALUCÍA
LUXURY VILLA - EL PARAISO
Now on sale
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 17 Issue 417 www.theolivepress.es April 19th - May 2nd 2023
Construction
+34 952 58 75 73
FULL CIRCLE
Expat whistleblower in rental fraud case now accused of exact same ‘illegal’ rental scam
info@grupo-protec.com | www.protecgroupspain.com
ACCUSED: Juliette De Courcy and the ‘palace’ she allegedly rented, while (inset) our 2015 probe
88
INVESTIGATIONS NEWS SPECIAL
www.theolivepress.es
June 25th - July 9th 2015
TRACKED DOWN: Holiday rental scammers go AWOL from Alhaurin estate as hundreds
End of the rainbow
DISAPPEARED: Staffords
A BRITISH couple who scammed more than 100 Costa-bound tourists have fled their luxury Alhaurin el Grande villa and are hiding out in Murcia. But, the owners of Rainbow Villas, Mark and Michelle Stafford, have fled the high-security property - whose neighbours
EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell & Rob Horgan
include Status Quo star Rick Parfitt, to ‘lie low’ in Murcia - it can be revealed. The pair are now being probed by police after their company suddenly ‘ceased
trading’, leaving holidaymakers thousands of euros out of pocket and with nowhere to stay. When the Olive Press visited their gated villa - fitted out with cameras and a 600 metre private drive - nobody was at home, despite a source saying that the couple’s son is looking after the
property. Despite their six dogs making a lot of noise in the grounds and a van being in evidence, a neighbour told the Olive Press, that the pair had fled to Murcia, where Mark’s mother lives. “The couple fled in a hurry, initially to Murcia,” the neighbour said. “But as they
have homes in France, Portugal and England, I suspect they will leave Spain sharpish.” She added: “For now, their son, who is in his early 30s, is looking after their six dogs and eight cats.” Meanwhile an army of scammed holiday-makers are compiling a dossier of
Quo conmen: Get them in the pot! WIN ! WIN! WIN!
UNDER FIRE:
Copies of the new
‘Rough Guide to
only English-language The original and Andalucía newspaper in investigative
June 11th - June
FREE
Stan Israel
Media boss in court EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell
15
Andalucia’ - Page
olive press Disrupting the Status Quo the
you Let HiFX help reach your destination. www.hifx.co.uk
Vol. 9 Issue
24th 2015
215 www.theolivepress.es
Parfitt and Rockstar Rickcall in police wife Lyndsay thousands in
The BesT PrePaid PLaNs iN sPaiN 600 MB
+
40 mins
9€
iNC. iVa
www.masmovil.es/en OLIVE PRESS – Earpiece 10th June
Rick and Lyndsay
Parfitt lost thousands
to
ROCKED: after losing con Costa media Costa conmen AN embattled sued by one of it back to Swiss kitchenware group is being can’t transport printing an price as they Diaz has reached Andalucia’s biggest Lyndsay SUSANA with Ciudadanos Switzerland. firms. believable,” as run by Stan EXCLUSIVE second term “It is all veryshow you some genuine agreement has been Sunsearch Media, to claim her the Andalucian Rick Parfitt chased for the By Rob Horgan added. “They are seated in your car Israel, is beingof €8,000 dat- ROCK legend thousands of euros after president of and given gear while youthrowing deals at you. non-payment conned out of trick. Junta. their photo for a vocalist Having taken and then startstart loading the boxes The PSOE pact with Ciudadaing back to 2013. in Sevilla, falling for an age-old she is hoping was guitarist and police their details, Tecnographic, Homes, one The Status Quo buying ‘luxury’ pots, “When they of your car it all looks nos leader Juan Marin the signing quick conviction.that we both fell for it,” fitprinted Perfect was duped into for €1,465 from a pair into the boot concluded with of large, glossy Olive Press. “I cannot believe that you of three documents regarding of a range by his pans and cutlery posing as Swiss saleslegitimate. Lyndsay told the you get home ness instructor are stupid or gullible so it magazines produced of slick conmen “It is only whenbought a lot of cheap 72 policy points. these is based on an “Neither of us group. a new men in Guadalmina. 66-year-old British how professional realise you’ve The coalition agreement, only when the Marbella mansion just goes to show Israel, 53, launched bargain, anti-corruption has told supcalled Sim- It was rubbish.” to his drive lookout for a guys are. in and Ciudadanos company in 2014, whose cli- rocker returned he had been sold a dud. in slick suits and Always on the the pact that he realised “They are dressed and claim to be from married in Gibraltar ply Media Group, finery’, it soon porters against include Louis that the Parfitts ceremony. ‘a ‘watch and of ‘luxury Swiss luxury BMWs ents allegedly Spain it will not merely and even Instead apparent that he had acquired act, 2006 in a £46 Switzerland. China’ their time in Vuitton, Bulgari good at their be el listen’. with ‘made in Gaga’s perfume. became They now split “They are very in Alhaurin Page 4 popstar Lady load of old tosh’ base of the pans. that people must Election latestbetween properties so it is vital them.” inscribed on thewasn’t bad enough, Grande and Marbella. warned about the two ‘businessDebt And if that Lyndsay was The con involves their ‘target’ last night, Parfitt’s wife same men’ approaching in When confronted- who drives ALSO tricked by the by coare while they dog-lover Israel - initially fraudsters completely car, a stationarya car a Range Rovernothing to do incidence. in usually in claimed to have claiming it Approached separatelydays exAndalucia, two with Sunsearch, park, Lyndsay year to someone Nueva Lyndsay handed was sold last ‘not paying’. plained. before, as they who ended up From there lefthe was over the same amount the 28-page Marbella leaving But he then admitted Find out in our claim to have her husband, with 19-46 a is Parfitts €2,930 down still a ‘shareholder’. over stock from it. Tecnographic supplement. Pages Either way, for the €8,000 nothing to show for nearby exhibition, in the willstill fighting has taken Is- The pair have now calledamazwhich they area cutpayment, and in Sevilla over police, after Lyndsay men ing to sell for the same rael to court ingly then metpark in Malaga a the debt. it had won a in IKEA’s car While insisting week later.
Junta pact
reporter Tom Did OP chief TOWIE star Powell charm in Marbella...? Chloe Lewis
Turn to Page
EXCLUSIVE By Alberto Lejarraga
2
Free varifocal lenses with glasses from 89€ 59€ UK TV Solutions No contract IPTV Satellite TV
See our ad inside for details.
•
675 033 474 663 303 932 / info@alpusat.com www.alpusat.com
BSKYB technician Fully accreditted Alpujarras based in Las
OLIVE PRESS – FRONT COVER
70mm x 40mm
FLASHBACK: Our story last issue
Find us on facebook.com/alpusat.alpujarra
27th May
ONE of the conmen who duped UK rock legend Rick Parfitt out of thousands of euros is a Dutchman operating under the name ‘Frederick Rooze’, it can be revealed. The fraudster, who hoodwinked Status Quo guitarist out of €2,930 for two sets of pots and pans, drives a dark blue Range Rover Sport with Dutch number plates (4-ZJP-33). Masquerading as a salesman for leading Swiss kitchenwear company Kuhn Rikon, he and an accomplice, also believed to be Dutch, claim they have been left with ‘overstock’ after a local exhibition. Insisting the goods are ‘luxury Swiss finery’, they are in fact cheap, poor quality junk, as we revealed last issue (left). Now dozens of new victims have
come forward with fresh information on the pair, who previously conned hundreds of people in Belgium and Holland. One, Dutch expat Patricia Stone, was tricked into buying €2,650 worth of kitchenware in Sotogrande. “I am disgusted with myself that I didn’t spot it was a fake,” Stone told the Olive Press. “Rooze presented himself as a legitimate salesmen. He was very well dressed, late 30s with the most amazing blue eyes.” A Kuhn Rikon spokesman told the Olive Press, it was now working with Spanish police to clamp down on the fraud. “Many customers have asked for our help because they have bought fraudulent products thinking they were acquiring our merchandise,” said spokesman Wolfgang Aufwarter. “It is very damaging to our image.”
CON’S CAR: Range Rover Sport and (left) fake goods
Bienvenidos al Hotel Hacienda Puerta del Sol, una experiencia única, un mundo aparte que les ofrece las comodidades que espera de un pequeño gran hotel
VIVA FASHIONISTA Our Fashion columnist Freya opens a new shop
Page 12
PICASSO QUIZ:
How much do you know about our iconic local lad?
X
Page 14
AN EXPAT whistleblower who denounced a pair of holiday scammers a decade ago has been accused of the exact same fraud. Juliette De Courcy Withey, based in Malaga, is being taken to court over €70,000 she allegedly owes to the owner of a luxury 15-bed villa. Withey, from Guernsey, allegedly faces seven years prison over the claims that she illegally rented the huge luxury home in Benahavis. The allegations relate to a €2,800-a-night palace that was once owned by a Saudi Prince. Withey, who lives in the Guadalhorce Valley, allegedly pocketed the rental income from the home in Benahavis rather than giving it to the owner. The owner, Vicente Gonzalez, has filed a complaint at Marbella court claiming Withey pocketed €68,000, although he told the Olive Press he believes ‘thousands more’ is missing in cash payments. It is the most ironic twist then, that Withey, 65, had herself filed an official complaint against her former bosses eight years ago, claiming the exact
SKY + THE DOCTOR +
Welcome to the Hotel Hacienda Puerta del Sol, a unique experience, a world apart that offers the a menities you expect from a small grand hotel
same crime. She went public claiming fellow expats Mark and Michelle Stafford had been renting out properties - including the Benahavis palace - that they did not own, collecting thousands from unsuspecting clients. In what became known as the ‘Rainbow Villas scam’, the Olive Press revealed how more than 100 tourists fell victim to the couple, based nearby in Alhaurin. In a shocking fraud, leading to the Staffords arrest, many lost thousands when their bookings were cancelled at the last moment. Some of the most unfortunate clients arrived for their dream holiday to find someone else living in the property they had booked. Ironically, Withey - who had worked with the Staffords from their palatial home in Alhaurin - has now been accused in a lawsuit by Gonzalez, 61.
ALL AREAS COVERED
4G UNLIMITED INTERNET IDEAL FOR STREAMING TV ALSO IPTV, SATELLITE TV
tel: (0034) 952 763 840 info@theskydoctor.com www.theskydoctor.com
The Spanish lawyer, from Barcelona, told the Olive Press that Withey had been managing the property since helping to expose the original scam in 2015. But, he claims she has been ‘illegally renting’ out the 1,700 m2 palace - once owned by former Saudi Arabia Minister of Defence, Prince Abdul-Aziz Saud - which is able to house up to 31 people. He told the Olive Press Withey was ‘in charge of the bookings’ and the mostly-British clients made two payments, one a deposit to secure it and another 30 days before arrival. In court papers, seen by the Olive Press, he claims Withey would ask clients for the second payment to be transferred to her bank account or to be given to her in cash. Court papers claim that Withey sometimes rented the property to conflicting clients at the same time, cancelling one of the clients, but still pocketing the money, similar to the Rainbow Villas scam. A source has told the Olive Press that Withey hooked clients through a network of social media sites such as Booking. com and rental websites. But the source, a British owner of a Marbella rental company Withey See page 5 used to advertise the palace with, expressed
Tel: 952 147 834
SOLAR PANELS
www.mariposaenergia.es
real surprise at the claims. “She was legally working for the property so it was not suspicious at all. There were even times when I spoke to her clients and they said she was a lovely woman and they had a great time at the house,” she explained. The problem was, while the clients may have been having a nice time, the actual owner, Gonzalez, claims he had no idea about them. It was in 2019, when he was handed documentation by a rental agency, that he discovered multiple bookings for the rest of that year as well as for 2020 and 2021. Ctra. Fuengirola-Mijas, Km. 4 Mijas (Málaga) Tel. 952 48 64 00 reservas@hhpuertadelsol.es www.hhpuertadelsol.es
Prison
“It’s really important to expose Withey’s behaviour so that she does not scam any other people,” Gonzalez insisted this week. “She has had over a year to pay me back and has paid nothing. “I don’t want her to go to prison, but she needs to pay soon or that is what will happen.” According to the lawyer, Withey could face a prison sentence of seven years and six months for misappropriation and fraud, if found guilty. When contacted by the Olive Press, Withey refused to speak, adding: “You need to speak to my lawyer. I have nothing to say. He will contact you. He will explain.” He hadn’t by the time we went to press.
RE OUR HEARTSSeA e Page 5 BROKEN gic Brit arrested after tra liott El at r death of bounce a’s ivi Ol ’s Wright
Opinion Page 6
of conned h