Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

From The Digital Editor

Walter Finch

Dear Olive Press readers,

Welcome back to another week of rambunctious revelations and high-octane goings on in the country we all love – Spain.

It’s a week in which the Olive Press has been at its investigative best, digging into the dirty deeds of one of the costas’ most well-known scoundrels, and introducing our readers to a new one.

We revealed that Jody Smart of the Continental Wealth Management pension scandal infamy lost her appeal against April’s fraud conviction in the Valencia High Court.

EXCLUSIVE: British fashion boss Jody Smart found guilty of fraud after scamming thousands of expats out of their retirement savings in Spain

By Jon Clarke and Walter Finch SHE was best friends with TV star Denise van Outen and had more shoes than notorious Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos. But the glamorous…

She had just ten days to appeal once again – this time all the way to Spain’s Supreme Court – or finally hand herself in to serve her three-and-a-half year jail sentence. The lawyers were convinced she would not have the audacity to attempt it.

Well would you believe it (and this is an early exclusive, dear readers) – she only went and did it. Someone who claims to not have funds, and has been ordered to pay victims €370,000, has taken the obscenely expensive option of a futile trip to yet another appeals court. It makes a mockery of justice, since those funds could only come from the victims she scammed – and for which she is standing trial.

The second rogue of the week is Marie Gleeson, of Age Concern Estepona and Manilva fame.

We reported on her back in 2023, when a string of her peers, volunteers and fellow charity bosses literally queued up to explain to us how she was abusing the charity through bullying, conflicts of interest and a lack of financial transparency.

EXCLUSIVE: British-run charity on Spain’s Costa del Sol comes under fire: President is accused by ex-volunteers of lack of transparency and splashing donations on €1,300 staff dinner

VOLUNTEERS at a well-known expat charity are raising concerns over how it is run. Current and former staff claim the president of Estepona Age Concern is running it like a…

On the back of that article, her family in England got in touch with the OP. They told us an extremely shocking – but not surprising – tale of how Gleeson had allegedly transferred almost all the money out of their mother’s bank account three days after she died, leaving them with no inheritance.

We’ve seen the bank statements, the will, the death certificate and the communications with lawyers, and – crucially – Gleeson has not denied it. Her family told us her entire strategy in life has been to ignore all problems and wait for nothing substantive to happen. It’s served her well up until now, and she’s never faced any real consequences.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘My sister syphoned off our family’s inheritance after our mother died – now she runs a big charity on the Costa del Sol’

A LEADING expat charity boss has been accused of syphoning off her family’s inheritance and then cutting off all contact after the death of their mother. Marie Gleeson, who runs…

We should say at this juncture that Gleeson has not been accused of any crime, and that Age Concern Estepona and Manilva do good work and real charity in the community.

But there are more awful stories to come out regarding Gleeson and her activities with Age Concern.

EDITOR’S PICKS:

Spain could be ordered to reimburse thousands of foreigners as Brussels goes after Madrid’s ‘discriminatory’ second home tax

Madrid is likely going to be taken to EU court over their ‘discriminatory’ taxes on second homes – and it could end in them being ordered to reimburse foreigners who have overpaid their taxes.

Immigrants in Spain could be required to speak Spanish to B2 level in order to claim Spanish nationality

Speaking of which, Brits and other foreigners are still busy hoovering up one in five properties in Spain. Here’s where they’re buying.

A kerfuffle broke out when we reported the PP’s proposal to force immigrants seeking Spanish citizenship to pass a language exam at B2 level. Yes, citizenship, not residency.

WATCH: Dutch bicycle tourists clash with locals in Valencia old town as anti-tourism anger boils over once again

Amid all this, anti-tourism sentiment is still running high. A group of Dutch cyclists clashed with activists in Valencia old town. It could be six of one and half a dozen of the other. The locals were protesting a squatter eviction and thus in the braying mob and pitchfork mood, while by most accounts the Dutch tried to plough through the group acting as though they had priority like they would in their own country.

Enjoy the weekend folks. And please do get in touch with any thoughts or comments you might have!

Best,
Walt

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Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

From The Digital Editor

Walter Finch

EXCLUSIVE: British fashion boss Jody Smart found guilty of fraud after scamming thousands of expats out of their retirement savings in Spain

EXCLUSIVE: British-run charity on Spain’s Costa del Sol comes under fire: President is accused by ex-volunteers of lack of transparency and splashing donations on €1,300 staff dinner

EXCLUSIVE: ‘My sister syphoned off our family’s inheritance after our mother died – now she runs a big charity on the Costa del Sol’

Spain could be ordered to reimburse thousands of foreigners as Brussels goes after Madrid’s ‘discriminatory’ second home tax

Immigrants in Spain could be required to speak Spanish to B2 level in order to claim Spanish nationality

WATCH: Dutch bicycle tourists clash with locals in Valencia old town as anti-tourism anger boils over once again

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Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

From The Digital Editor

Walter Finch

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