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This made me laugh. Martin had a point tho’. Marching kids out of school and telling them to “smile and wave” when the President came by? Don’t steal kids for political photos – or when Franco mark 2 came to Turre. Only consolation is that old Grimy didn’t look too happy in the photo. Did he want to be surrounded by sticky kids?
The dark days of GIL are put behind Marbella as the town faces a fresh new future. 16,500 homes are to be legalised and developers will be chased for compensation payments from the town hall. http://thereader.es/en/andalucia-news-stories/318-marbella-approves-pgou-16500-homes-legalised-1500-to-be-demolished.html Oh, 1,500 homes will still be demolished (500 of them lived in) but you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, as they say….
Alberto Saiz, head of the C.N.I., Spain’s secret agency, has quit only two months after being reappointed for afurther term as the agency’s head after being accused of spending public money on funding his own lavish lifestyle. Spies have come forward to complain that they were being used “to ferry his family around” rather than fight terrorism, according to leaked reports to daily “El País” newspaper.
It appears that Servicom is taking out vast quantities of gravel and sand out of the Rio Aguas near Mojácar on a somewhat dodgy license issued by Almería. It seems they are preparing for a major contract (AVÉ? Have they announced who’s won that contract locally yet?) and rather than spend money bringing it out of legal quarries have a piece of paper from Almería authorising them to dig up the riverbed. Local residents are Continue reading Vast quantities of sand being taken out of Rio Aguas by Mojacar
The Public Prosecutor (Fiscalia) has decided not to accept a case prosecuting the townhall of Carboneras and the Junta de Andalucía for initially permitting the construction of the illegal hotel “El Algarrobico”, despite criticism from judges in related cases of the way the original construction was allowed to go ahead. Various ecologist groups had placed criminal charges against Carboneras townhall and the Junta de Andalucía alleging incompetence, conflict of interest and outright bribery. They also Continue reading Public Prosecutor archives “Algarrobico” criminal case against public officials
Modesto Francisco Lopez Ortega is the promotor who can be seen in this infamous video giving the corrupt mayor of Ohanes (a small village above Almeria) 30,000€ for a building license. After falling out with the mayor, he handed over the video to the Guardia. The Mayor (now ex mayor), who was allowed by PSOE to resign “with dignity” from his post and his membership of the party (early retirement, apparantly; going to spend more Continue reading Modesto Lopez explains why he shopped corrupt mayor of Ohanes
The newspaper ABC has released a video showing the mayor of Ohanes, a small village in Almería, accepting cash from a builder in exchange for building licenses in May 2005. The Mayor is seen counting out notes to the amount of €29,000; whereupon he asks why €1000 is missing and the promotor agrees to pass the money to him the next day. They discuss the handover of the paperwork, and a verbal promise to pay Continue reading Mayor of OHANES filmed accepting bribes
El Pais recently published a rather nasty “special report” on illegal homes built across Andalucia, protest groups formed to protect owners rights and the protest march scheduled for the 9th of January in Almeria and. (Libertad Paloma, from Cadiz, 7/12/08). “They built without permission, they paid a lot less for their homes than for a normal home and they broke the law. But still they ask for more. Around the illegal suburbs built in Andalucia Continue reading “El Pais” attacks AUAN and illegal home owners in Almanzora
As you will know, there is a protest march organised by such AVEP, AULAN, AUAN, AUN, LSOS, Cuidadanos Europeos and others, in Almeria on the 9th of Jan through Almeria city to try to bring media attention back to the Priors case and urban abuse in general. (See programme info at Spanish Shilling or other good websites). While not wishing to aspirations on the much lauded attempt to bring media attention back to the Priors, Continue reading Expats to march in protest march against urban abuse in Almeria
The fellow in charge of the CONSEJO AUDIOVISUAL DE ANDALUCÍA (Audiovisual Department of Andalucia), a department of the Junta de Andalucia, is Francisco Cervantes Bolanos (info). He owns half of a company called Hermanos Cervantes Gutierrez, S.L., according to his public declaracion de bienes. And what does Hnos Cervantes Gutierrez S.L. do? Why, it’s an Audio Visual Company that works in Seville for the public administration. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.