Eloise HorsfieldBy Wendy Williams
A PAIR of shady businessmen linked to the Russian mafia are behind the current scandal engulfing Casares Town Hall.
Police are now hunting for Robert Gaspar and Robert Mani, ringleaders of the ‘Kremlyoskaya’ gang, who allegedly bribed the former IU mayor and current housing boss Juan Sanchez Garcia.
The pair, who have ties to a web of at least 25 companies on the Costa del Sol, vanished following the arrest of Sanchez.
As reported in the Olive Press, police swooped on Casares Town Hall a fortnight ago to investigate irregularities in the Majestic property development.
It has since emerged that this is connected to an alleged network dedicated to money laundering.
Previous businesses with which the pair have been linked include Majestic TV, as well as the Mijas Hipodromo.
A total of 236 properties, 19 vehicles and 165 bank accounts are being probed as part of the so-called ‘Operacion Majestic’.
Police arrested two of Gaspar’s staff including South African Debray Patricia Muirhead and German Martina Maria Fritzsche.
Gaspar’s mother Ukranian Anne Chahbazian, 76, has also been taken into custody.
The case dates back to 2004 when the town hall allegedly approved contracts for the development.
Police believe Gaspar, a French national of Ukrainian origin is the mastermind behind the scandal.
His number two is Mani, the boss of the Carrera Entertainment Corporation, which previously invested in the Mijas Hipodromo.
As revealed by the Olive Press four years ago, in 2005 the company was caught up in a scandal involving concerts by Jamiroquai and Bryan Adams which never happened leaving thousands out of pocket.
Meanwhile, Sanchez, who denies the allegations, has now been released from Alhaurin prison after more than a hundred people contributed money to cover his €200,000 bail.
Like all the other enormous scandals in Spain, this one must have been given the ‘nod’ by all in power who were aware of it. Almost to the top of society.
Insidious corruption on a scale hardly bettered by the most despotic of African regimes.
The Spanish must have taught the Russians a thing or two about corruption lol.
Approximately 2000 euros per “contribution”.
That’s a list of names that should be passed on to the Hacienda (“Agencia Estatal de Administracion Tributaria).
Chahbazian, the name is Armenian.Time to start to separate gangsters by they nationalities. Most of the “Russian” mafia abroad are not Russians. About 85-90% of them are Jews(check they first and last names). It’s as true as the majority of “Russian” billionaires are Jews who stole wealth from Russia
I am surprised that the Olive Press failed to report that these two men,Gasper and Mani are the same two that gave Maurice Boland unlimited financial backing to launch Talk Radio Europe. I wonder when the authorities are going to speak to Boland about it? He bought himself a spanking new Mercedes convertible at the time and I can tell you it didnt come out of his pocket.
You know how on Google the first results – if you search for a news website – usually feature a few extra sub links with partial headlines? And they are grouped in rows of three, in small print, so you can see a selection of articles simultaneously and get an idea of the news themes?
When people search for “olivepress.es” the fifth is a link titled “Carjacking on the Costa Del Sol” and sixth is a link titled “Shady Russians…”
The first is “Read the Olive Press Online.
The second is “Cheap Aldi Wine”
the third is “Contact”
and the fourth is “British couple’s demolition”
So people searching for this newspaper online automatically get a negative impression – that it perpetuates stereotypes (Shady Russians) or plays on fears (Carjacking); four of the six also have negative themes (the words “cheap” “demolition” “shady” and again “carjacking.”)
The remaining two are neutral “Read the Olive Press” and “Contact”
I would say that the Olive Press needs a bit of a – it is coming across as a tabloid or, at the very least, a niche news source with a specific bias (see: non-neutral tone).
The Olive Press doesn’t need to change anything about this article, but the title “Shady Russians…” is outside of a neutral tone and AP guidelines, because it perpetuates a stereotype. It could just as easily say “Shady Criminals” or “The Russian Mafia” (since we’re talking about a shady Russian criminal mafia”) with the same effect. And it would be neutral and according to a more professional AP journalistic style; it wouldn’t perpetuate a stereotype by referring to “Russians.”
And since this article is one of the first links on the first page for people searching for the Olive Press, it’s also one of the most important for representing the image of the Olive Press.
That might also mean it would be especially important to moderate certain comments that could be taken as (and frankly are) racist:
Husky – “Most of the “Russian” mafia abroad are not Russians. About 85-90% of them are Jews(check they first and last names). It’s as true as the majority of “Russian” billionaires are Jews who stole wealth from Russia”
I know I have had comments censored for less.
I also get “corrupt”, “fraud” and “planning abuses” in my results. Google is most accurate, good job.
Btw, Jews are not a race; they are an ethnicity. No racist comment therefore exists.
Fred – “Btw, Jews are not a race; they are an ethnicity. No racist comment therefore exists.”
Yet, we are in fact talking about Russian Jews. These are Jews who have Russian passports. They were born in Russia. They’re Russians. The comment, however, claims that they are not ‘really’ Russians because they are Jews. Kind of like saying Muslims are not “real Americans;” the current ultra-conservative talking-point in the USA. Technically not racist (as Islam is not a ‘race’) – but bigoted, discriminatory, intolerant and prejudiced. Same as the comment above.
Check part of the original comment:
Husky – “It’s as true as the majority of “Russian” billionaires are Jews who stole wealth from Russia”
Let’s agree then that the correct term is not racism. It would be anti-Semitism.
And that’s one of the first things that shows up for the Olive Press. Way to manage its reputation as “Spain’s No1 English Daily Website.”
“Let’s agree then that the correct term is not racism. It would be anti-Semitism.”
Glad you stand corrected Reality. I like a person who admits when they’re wrong. There’s hope you for you yet. lol.
You are all missing the point. These guys were not the real crooks. Richard Roberts and gang were the real crooks here. These two so called Russians just put up the money. Search on google for Stirling Mortimer, it goes a lot deeper. People pension monies. The real crooks are the English.
Husky,
spot on comments – facts are facts. Nowhere in your post did you rant against Russians for being Russian or Jews for being Jewish and you did a service to the article by pointing out the Russians were’nt Russian but Armenians.
Corruption in Spain ! I find this very hard to believe .
Lets face it the only point in having three police forces is so that they can keep and eye on each other.
Everythings available here at the right price
Hopefully this mail will be published. Agree with “Bothered” above. Richard Roberts and his wife worked for Majestic and ran all these seminars encouraging IFAs to sell these property investments before doing a runner and leaving Spain.
I’ve put my own loss down to sheer stupidity on my part, even though I feel I have been conned, but know other people who have lost a lot of money based on pure lies. To hear they are now living the millionaire lifestyle in Las Vegas, using our money is particularly galling. (Easy to find, just Google Richard Neill Roberts or Jane Sheridan Roberts Las Vegas and see where our money is being spent)Just hope that one day the Police or fraud squad will be knocking on their door and give a small ray of light that some of us may get some money back………….but I doubt it!!!
Bunch of crooks….. hope they get locked up… Mani Carrera Entertainment Corporation…owes us money… never paid and never will….and agree with Barry M….. very strange goings on at Majestic…..
If you click on your link, this is from a court case involving our friends at Stirling Mortimer and Mr Roberts, mentioning the millions of pounds that Mr Roberts has taken from the funds… Think we can all kiss goodbye to our money!!!
Richard Roberts is a really nice guy if you know him like I do