Bringing home the BACON Digging under the surface of the Irish artist’s time in Spain See page 9
OLIVE PRESS MALLORCA
THE LUXURY LINE
Take a trip on Spain’s answer to the Orient Express
FREE
Vol. 7 Issue 185 www.theolivepress.es July 12th - July 25th 2024
REPTILE RELEASE
THEY oversaw the biggest public money fraud in Spanish history, syphoning €680 million into a pot of cash known as the ‘reptile fund’. Dwarfing all other corruption scandals that have plagued the country, it saw politicians famously redirect public funds from Brussels and Madrid into secret bank accounts.
SCAN here for the latest news
Whitewash claims as former leaders who oversaw Spain’s biggest corruption scandal could avoid prison
Javier Guerrero and his so-called ‘Cocaine chauffeur’ infamousIn an extraordinary judgement, ly spent much of the the Constitutional Court in Madrid money on prostitutes, has already significantly reduced cocktails and drugs, the sentences of 15 politicians who after knocking off were convicted in Andalucia’s infa- work at 2pm. mous ERE scandal. “We knew exactThe decision has led to the slam- ly what those funds ming of Pedro Sanchez’s govern- were used for, and it Embezzled ment with claims he is ‘pardoning was certainly not for The enormous slush fund - which his PSOE friends and covering up the general interest was meant to help struggling busi- his party’s past.’ or progress,” said PP nesses, create new ones or to help The decade-long scandal involved minister Ana Mestre pay redundancies - was instead many senior figures of the party, in- this week. spent on friends, families and pay- cluding Chaves, a former vice presi- “If they governed toing off enemies. dent of the PSOE in Madrid. day, the PSOE would Yet the sentences handed down to The most infamous abuse of pow- just do it all over PARDONED: Chaves and Griñan oversaw €680m corruption scandal former PSOE leaders Jose Antonio er saw an ex-Employment Minis- again.” Griñan and Manuel Chaves, con- ter and his driver set up two bogus But this hasn’t stopped Madrid’s of the convicted 15 politicians. Rodríguez will now all walk free. victed of overseeing the huge theft, companies, which were handed Constitutional court from signifi- Former ministers Antonio Fernan- And, incredibly, the six year sencould soon be overturned. cantly reducing the sentences of 12 dez, Francisco Vallejo and Jesus tence handed to Griñan for his in€350,000 each in grants. volvement between 2000 and 2009 is to be overturned as well. er against France in the A draft ruling, expected to semis. be approved next week, will England clinched their mean Griñan never sees the own place in the fiinside of a prison cell. A MATCH for the ages has been set nal thanks to a 92nd Chaves is also likely to see up this Sunday as England will face minute winner against his nine-year disqualification Holland from substitute Spain in the final of Euro 2024. from public office quashed. Spanish silk and skill against Ollie Watkins (pictured) The rulings, which were - the latest goal ever scored English steel and grit. confirmed by seven votes to The Spanish against in a Euros knockout game in regular time. four, were opposed by the After having rather limped through the their biggest customer. four conservative judges, England’s 19-year- tournament, they will face a Spain team who accused the court of old prodigy Kob- that has blown away all comers, including granting ‘immunity’ to forbie Mainoo against heavyweights France and Germany. mer PSOE officials. Spain’s even younger The bookies will have Spain as strong faAntonio Sanz, a PP minisworldbeater Lamine vourites to repeat the act against England. ter at the Junta de AndaYamal – who only turns But the English will take heart from the fact lucia, declared his party that their performances have improved as 17 on Saturday. would ‘still do everything Yamal an- the tournament has worn on. Will they be possible to recover all the nounced his able to peak on one of the biggest stages of stolen money.’ name to all? “No matter how much the the world So reserve yourself a table at your favourPSOE tries to erase its past with a ite terrace, pick which friends you’re going of corruption, it will not be to watch it with wisely, and saddle up for a brilliant - Craig Dickson able to cover up the biggest 20 me- final that kicks off at 9pm at the Olympiascase of corruption in the tre curl- tadion Berlin in Germany. history of Spanish democracy,” he added. By Walter Finch
Mallorca windows
Aluminium - uPVC - Timber
Windows Doors Shutters Bi-folds
Glass Curtains Mosquito Nets Glass Railings Sun Blinds
Call us for a no obligation quote
695 420 635
www.mallorca-windows.com
Ollie v Olé!