A BRITISH man sacked from his role as a mayoral representative in Rojales was one of two arrests made in late March for allegedly defrauding €86,000 from an elderly expat.

Matt Smith, 42, along with his partner, a 41-year-old woman, has been accused of syphoning off the money from the victim’s bank accounts over several years.

News of the arrests executed in Rojales was only released by the Guardia Civil on Monday.

READ MORE:

• NO VENDETTA: Just fair reporting of British gestor linked to fake padron probe as he takes on mayor role on Spain’s Costa Blanca
• British gestor involved in mass fraud becomes ‘mayor’ of expat urbanisation on Spain’s Costa Blanca
• EXCLUSIVE: Gestor involved in padron fraud facing eviction for 12 months non-payment of rent on Spain’s Costa Blanca

Smith worked as a gestor providing a variety of services to foreign nationals.

The alleged fraud- committed between 2019 and 2022- only came to light when a relative of the British victim realised the money had gone after checking his accounts after he died.

The elderly Almoradi resident had no family in Spain and suffered from health problems, putting him in a vulnerable position.

His bank cards were used for ATM withdrawals and shop transactions- even after he died.

Matt Smith was number 11 on the PSOE list for the May 2023 local elections in Rojales.

Afterwards he was appointed as Mayor Antonio Perez’s personal representative for the Rojales area’s urbanisations, including Quesada.

His role in an area dominated by non-Spanish residents was to act as a liason over council and administrative issues.

Smith was sacked in January 2024 after Perez received information that reportedly ’caused concern’.

He nevertheless continued to work with the Town Hall, mainly as a translator at meetings with Quesada residents.

The Informacion newspaper reported that his presence was in spite of the fact that the authority already had an interpreter and that his appearances at times were alongside Perez.

Antonio Perez told the outlet that Smith’s ties with the council ended after his arrest and would continue that way until the case is resolved.

The opposition Partido Popular has said it will raise the matter at the council’s next plenary meeting.

Matt Smith’s activities were previously covered by the Olive Press.

They including allegations in 2021 that his business premises in Quesada owed over 12 months rent to his landlady and that clients had residency applications denied due to ‘fake’ padron papers.

Smith via social media described the accusations as ‘unfounded’ and that all of his clients ‘were dealt with in a satisfactory manner’.

He added that the police brought no charges against him following an investigation.

In November 2021, the then-Orihuela mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, made Smith a representative for the Entre Naranjos urbanisation which has a large number of British and foreign residents.

Click here to read more Costa Blanca News from The Olive Press.