Soltalk April 2020 | Page 16

News Balcón fire Around 20 people were evacuated from apartments on the Balcón de Europa last month after fire broke out. A second floor property owned by architect and former Partido Popular councillor Bernard Pozuelo was seriously damaged in the incident. He said he had been enjoying a coffee in a nearby café when he was told of the blaze which is thought to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Road death A 50-year-old motorcyclist from Nerja died last month after his high-powered Kawaski left the road and hit the curb, throwing him to the ground where he suffered severe head injuries. The accident happened on the east-bound N340 at the roundabout leading to the Fuente del Báden area on March 18. The dead man is reported to have been married with two young children and was well-known in the hospitality sector. Gym investigation A man whose body was found in a Vélez-Málaga gymnasium last month is thought to have been attempting a robbery. The 50-year-old, who had a long criminal record, is thought to have fallen ten metres after breaking in through a skylight and then stepping onto a false ceiling. His body was found by the gym’s owner and an investigation was opened by National Police. Police threatened A local man was detained in Torrox during the first week of restrictions on movement imposed by the government. The 42-year-old was arrested after insulting and threatening police officers who ordered him to return to his home. He was reported by neighbours for disturbing the peace and now faces a fine of up to €3,000 for resisting arrest and failing to comply with the state of emergency restrictions. Shot fired A shot was fired into the air by police in Málaga’s La Trinidad district as officers tried to prevent three suspects from escaping. They had leapt from a vehicle which crashed into a shop window in calle Mármoles during what investigators believe was an illegal road race with another car. Police from the neighbouring police station were quickly on the scene but it is unclear whether any detentions were made. Felipe renounces his inheritance King Felipe IV has renounced the inheritance of his father, King Juan Carlos, who abdicated in favour of his son in 2014, and has stripped the retired monarch of his annual retirement allowance. The moves follow reports that King Juan Carlos, who reigned for 39 years and is now 82, had set up an offshore fund in 2008 which was likely to generate millions for his son. The story broke in the UK’s Telegraph newspaper on March 14 and claimed that King Felipe was named as a beneficiary of an offshore fund holding €65 million. The cash was said to have been a “donation” from “the King of Saudi Arabia” while Juan Carlos was still on the throne. The report added that the offshore account, named as the Lucum Foundation, was established in Panama City and was tied to a private bank in Geneva. Another offshore account alleged to be linked to Juan Carlos, Fondation Zagatka, is already under investigation by prosecutors in Switzerland who think it may be linked to “kickback” payments after the former monarch helped to broker business deals with Saudi Arabia while he was in power. These are believed to be connected to the contract awarded to a Spanish consortium to construct the high-speed rail line between Mecca and Medina which opened in 2018. The day after the Telegraph report appeared, March 15, the Royal household in Madrid issued a statement noting that King Felipe became aware of claims about the Lucum Foundation last year and had formally renounced any benefit in a sworn statement to a public notary. The statement also included confirmation from Juan Carlos that he had not told his son that he was named as a beneficiary. King Felipe also denied all knowledge of being a beneficiary of the Fondation Zagatka. The reports surfaced as Juan Carlos was being criticised for his lavish lifestyle and observers say King Felipe’s response indicates that he is trying to distance himself from his father’s affairs. The palace has also confirmed that Juan Carlos, who retired from public life last year, will no longer receive an annual grant of €194,000. Assassin suspects detained Six men have been arrested in a joint operation by Spanish and Dutch police which opened after an assassination in Marbella last year. Four of them were detained close to the Spanish border last month when they were allegedly on their way to carry out another killing. The Moroccan-born businessman Abdelhadi Yaqout was shot dead on January 21, 2019, as he arrived at his villa in San Pedro at the wheel of his Bentley. He was reportedly hit 12 times while he was trapped inside the car by two hooded gunmen. Yaqout owned several bars and nightclubs in Puerto Banus and had an interest in Linekers, the bar established by Wayne Lineker, brother of England footballer Gary Lineker. He was also reportedly involved in international drugs trafficking. The investigation into his assassination led officers to identify the six 14 individuals now in detention who were based mainly in the Netherlands where they were working as hired assassins selling their services to criminal gangs. Once it was suspected that they were planning another hit in Spain, their movements were monitored as they left the Netherlands by road. The four occupants of their vehicle were detained last month as they crossed the Spanish border and a semi-automatic pistol with a silencer was found hidden in the car. At the same time, the other two suspects were detained in the Netherlands. Police say the gang was one of the most active in Europe with ten murders presently attributed to them. Three of the detainees already have criminal records for serious offences, and all six now face charges of murder, possessing illegal weapons and membership of a criminal organisation.