Rob Horgan
A DODGY dentist has finally coughed up after losing a six-year legal wrangle with the Olive Press.
Notorious Rajkumar ‘Raj’ Rao has been forced to repay €11,800 in costs and legal expenses after losing a libel battle against us.
Despite being ordered to pay the sum in 2011, the disgraced dentist has only just handed over the cash – including over €3,000 in interest.
While claiming he had no money, Rao continued to operate from his luxury Alhaurin practice promising a ‘world-class smile’ and ‘drop dead gorgeous dentures’ via adverts in local magazines.
In reality, many of his patients were given unnecessary procedures and some were left permanently disfigured.
One victim, expat David Buchanan took legal action after he was left partially blinded when Rao injected anaesthetic into his eye socket during a ‘routine procedure’.
Another 72-year-old patient was given 22 crowns instead of the necessary seven.
It emerged he had been twice-struck-off in the UK and had it not been for an administrative error, he would not have been allowed to practise in Spain, where he is still active.
However, when we exposed his malpractice and reported on the facts, he sued us for defamation, insisting our stories were entirely false.
It led to a costly defence, including flying two victims from the UK.
However on the day of the trial in 2010 he failed to turn up.
Nor, mysteriously, did the judge leading to a labyrinthine battle to get a judgement in order to get our costs of over €5,000 paid.
Indeed, it took a year for the court to even accept our claim and – incredibly – another FOUR years before we could finally collect our dues.
Victory only came after the court finally ruled, last year, that we could repossess items of furniture from Rao’s surgery.
Only then did he start to cooperate.
“We have been pushing the court for years,” said Marbella-based lawyer Adolfo Martos Gross. “It is a great victory for justice but it should never have taken this long.
“This case proves that if you keep fighting and never give up then justice can be had, but it is very unfair.”
Last night, Olive Press editor Jon Clarke, described it as a ‘sweet victory for justice’, but said it should never have taken so long.
“We got sued for doing our jobs. This is the kind of case that puts newspapers off doing investigative journalism, but we won’t be deterred and we will continue to expose all crooks.”
Well done the OP but imagine what it’s like for an ordinary citizen. The problem is no different than in the UK, just takes longer to resolve. The Law is there to make money for lawyers, not justice.
Congratulations to The Olive Press on a well-deserved victory. More power to your elbow in fighting for justice on behalf of ordinary people.
One thing though, is the tooth-butcher still practicing? If so, what will it take to put him out of commission ?
Well done, great determination.