Innocent?
The judge in the trial of the San Antonio shootings has returned not guilty verdicts for two of the three Britons involved in the case. Both Shaun Walker and Kevin Murray were absolved in the judgement last Thursday, and made public over the weekend, despite both being in the BMW X5 during the incident. The verdict continues that the two were in the car, driven by Murray, with three other passengers. Whilst driving down calle Lope de Vega there began a confrontation with a Seat Leon, one of whose occupants was also standing trial. Walker then got out of the car holding a pistol. Someone in the Seat Leon then began to fire at the BMW X5, injuring Walker. He then got back into the car and pleaded with Murray to drive him to the Galeno medical clinic in avenida Dr Fleming. However, the Seat Leon followed them towards the clinic where a second gun battle ensued in which two passers-by were injured. Two of the occupants of the BMW responded by firing back, although neither was later arrested.
The judge claimed that although it was clear Walker had got out of the car holding a pistol it was unclear whether he had actually fired the gun. The only witness at the scene said she saw him with the firearm, but neither heard nor saw him using it. There was also no other evidence that another firearm had been used in calle Lope de Vega. The charge of possessing a firearm was also dropped after nothing was found by officers.
Murray was also cleared after it became clear that he had stayed inside the vehicle throughout the entire incident, and was at no point seen with a gun.
The four who did receive prison sentences included the Briton, Christian Sullivan, who was condemned to three years in prison after admitting that the 143 MDMA wraps found at his home on the Ibiza-San Antonio road were to be sold on to the public.
The longest sentence was handed to Younes Amrani, who received a 10-year jail term for his part in the events of 31st July. He was found guilty of the attempted murder of Shaun Walker, the judge believing that he followed Walker down to avenida Dr Fleming with the intention of killing him. The sentence said that a witness statement placing Amrani at the scene, in addition to a recorded telephone conversation some weeks later in which a friend of the accused told him he had appeared in the local papers, as well as the appearance of the car used in the attack found close to his home, and in which investigating officers discovered an empty box of the bullets used in the attack.
The two others to be condemned were the Moroccans, Bilal Bnihich, and Mohamed Affald, both of whom were accused of transporting drugs with the intention of selling them on to third parties. Both received four year prison sentences along with a 28,500 fine each.
The ruling brings to a close a case which has hung over the municipality for the last two years, as it is not expected that anyone else will be arrested over the case.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Thumbs Up
A macro-survey carried out by the Island Council recently has shown that most islanders consider their quality of life in Ibiza to be high. The first such opinion poll of its kind revealed that of those questioned 17 per cent said the quality of life on the island was very good, with 54.6 per cent claiming it was good, and 22.5 per cent saying it was regular. The main reasons given were the tranquillity, the climate, the fact that everything is close-by, the beaches and countryside, and finally the fact that there is work.
The survey was carried out in July by the independent company, GfK, who contacted 1,502 adults by telephone.
However, the results showed there are still many glaring problems in Ibiza which have not gone unnoticed by the public. The two main ones continue to be the high prices and poor public transport. Of those questioned 55.8 per cent claimed to be dissatisfied with the state of public transport on the island, with 22.7 per cent indifferent, which leaves just 21 per cent satisfied or very satisfied.
The unhappiest residents concerning public transport are in San Juan where more than 60 per cent claimed to be unhappy with the current situation.
The recent mass construction on the island also came in for much criticism, with the municipal of San Jose being the most condemning. A total of 56.2 per cent claimed to be unhappy with the administrations general land use plan, although this clearly referred to the previous PP-run Town Hall.
Finally, the third most voiced complaint was the lack of transport links with the mainland.
The Island Council said it was happy with the results and that they faired very favourably when compared to other areas in Spain. Sources revealed that the macro-survey, the second part of which is due out in two weeks, would be continued at regular intervals throughout the coming years to gauge public opinion about their work. A source claimed there was still much to do but they were clearly on the right track.

Palau Returns
If the party need me, then I am willing to return. With these words Pere Palau, the former president of the Island Council kicked off a possible second era at the front-line of the political landscape last week. Palau was leader of the party last year when they were narrowly defeated by the Xico Tarres led PSOE-ExC coalition. After the shock result Palau announced his retirement, claiming the party needed a change of direction and fresh faces. His comments were echoed by several other party members. However, the reality seems to be that there are no new members capable of taking over the reigns, and the party has made little progress over the last eighteen months. This stagnation has led senior party members to call for the return of the former president.
Referring to his U-turn, Palau said he would do anything to help out the party, adding that if a suitable candidate emerged over the next few months he would willingly step to one side. He finished by stating that under no circumstances would he be standing for the presidency of the Island Council in 2011, and his return was temporary to be of service to the party.
However, his announcement resurfaced the internal battles within the party. Just days after the statement by Palau, the second-in-command at the Town Hall of Santa Eulalia, Mariano Juan, announced he would also be putting his name forward, so beginning a leadership battle which is sure to drag on for months, and will probably do more harm to the party in the short term. However Juans hope is that Palau stays true to his promise, and steps aside gracefully.

Crude Demands
Despite the rising price of oil over the last 12 months, Ibiza and Formentera have so far managed to consume 5 per cent more barrels than last year. In July alone the islands used a total of 49,431 tonnes of crude oil, 23 per cent more than the same month the previous year.
During the first seven months of the year consumption on the islands has risen by 5 per cent, with a total of 203,158 tonnes imported in, 10,000 more than in 2007. This increase is despite a hike in price which has seen a barrel rise as high as $150. The average price, however, is slightly lower at $112, still way above the $72 paid last year. Europe has been helped by a weakening dollar but despite the help the islands have still imported crude oil worth $143.2 million, around $55 million more than in 2007.
The main consumer on the islands remains the electric provider, GESA, who reported an increase in the demand for electricity during August.

Buils Resignation
As had been rumoured for several weeks the minister for tourism, Francesc Buils, resigned on Tuesday after an internal dispute involving one of the parties which made up the Governs coalition. Buils had been criticised for removing both Joan Sastre and Antoni Oliver from within his department, both of whom were key members of the UM, (United Mallorquin Party). They immediately demanded the re-instatement of both members or the resignation of Buils. After several weeks of meetings a compromise could not be found, and the now former minister presented his letter of resignation to the party leader and president of the Government, Francesc Antich. He accepted the ministers notice and immediately tried to heal the rift between the two parties by appointing UM leader, Miquel Nadal, as his new minister for tourism. He thanked Buils for all his hard work but assured the public that his successor was more than capable of continuing the work begun by his predecessor, whilst stating that the new appointment would not mean a change of direction for the tourism department, as they try to maintain visitor numbers on the four Balearic Islands during the current crisis.
Nadal, speaking the day after his new role was confirmed, said that he would honour the political plans of Buils, adding that he would be keeping the same team on board to ensure the continued dynamism within the department.

Money Trees
The corruption scandal which has dogged the PP-party over the last few months returned last week as the former head of the former Balearic governments Consortium for Economic Development, Antonia Ordinas and her partner, soprano Isabel Rossello, were both arrested on Monday along with nine others all accused of corruption and the misuse of public money.
All were arrested as part of a National Police fraud squad investigation, codenamed Operation Scala into the misappropriation of public funds by the Consortium, a department of the Balearic Ministry for Commerce, whilst the former PP-leader Jaume Matas was president of the Balearic Government.
The two most principal suspects appeared in court on Tuesday but chose, in the beginning, to remain silent. However, they later decided to cooperate and led police to around 240,000 which had been buried in different spots around their garden at the luxury chalet the couple shared in Portol.
The spokeswoman for the PP party in the Balearics, Catalina Soler, said she would be dismissing Ordinas from the party. She apologised to the public for the part which her party had played in the scandal, claiming they were responsible because it occurred during Matas reign as president, whilst admitting that a number of public departments were not controlled adequately.

Government Spending
The Central Government has released its list of financing for the island in 2009 which includes 24 million for the continued restructuring of the airport terminal. In total the Government has promised 45 million, which is to be spent on a wide range of projects. However, the largest portion will be used to help modernise the airport terminal, with 430,000 also being spent on improving the car park facilities and security. 2.3 million will also be used on improving the runway and airplane facilities.
3.7 million has also been put aside to carry out work on the esplanade and wharf in Botafoc marina.
In addition 4 million will go towards the building of the new Parador in Dalt Vila. This will be added to the 5 million and 2 million which will be given in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Water Investment
The environment minister at the Balearic Government, Miquel Angel Grimalt, on Tuesday announced an ambitious new plan to secure the quality of water on the island for the foreseeable future. His department will spend a total of 2,049,705,000 over the next 18 years to ensure the islands water supply. The money will come jointly from the Balearic Government, Island Council, Town Halls and the Central Government. He claimed it was the most ambitious project of its kind undertaken within the Balearics.
The report also revealed there were a total of 90 substantial masses of underground water on the four islands, 16 of which were located in Ibiza. Of these eight were said to be in good condition, whilst the other eight were said to be recoverable, something which will take place over the next two decades.
The plans include, amongst other things, the creation of 139 emergency wells, to supply municipals with water.

Drugs Fight
The banning of after-hour establishments seems to be producing its first fruits of success after the Balearic Government confirmed a substantial reduction in the number of drugs cases at Can Misses hospital this summer. The health minister, Vicenc Thomas, revealed on Thursday that the islands hospital had dealt with a total of 239 cases involving drugs so far this year, 24.9 per cent less than the amount recorded last year. During the month of June the hospital attended a total of 58 emergencies, compared to 85 the previous year. There were also reductions in July from 85 to 81, and in August, from 151 to 100.
However, Thomas said the numbers were still too high and his department would continue their fight to reduce the amount of drug related incidents on the island. He added that he would like to reduce the number of deaths caused due to overdoses, which officially stood at nine this year.

IBIZA TOWN
Land Delays
The Town Hall of Ibiza on Thursday admitted that it had still not come to an agreement with the owners of the land next to Can Misses, which has now become the proposed location of the new hospital. Despite comments by the councillor for social care, Patricia Abascal, that the deal was as good as done, a spokesman at the Town Hall admitted there were still key points which needed to be ironed out. The time scale mapped out by the Island Council has now passed, although it is unsure whether they will now carry out their threat, made several weeks ago, to take the land by force.

Kidnap Case
The man accused of kidnapping a 4-year-old girl in ses Figuretes claims he took her because he thought something was wrong. During the court case the 55-year old homeless man, who had been sleeping on the beach in the area, said that whilst out walking that morning the girl had looked at him as if something was wrong. He claimed she was also crying and trembling. He knew the woman with her was not her mother, and so he gently scooped her up and casually walked off down the road. According to the man, the woman then came up to him and pushed him to the floor, before grabbing the girl.
However, the woman who was looking after the girl at the time paints a different picture, and claims the man tried to run away with the girl and she was only able to grab her back after he fell over a wall. He then stood there insulting her whilst a beach cleaner in the area approached the couple, and called the police. When they arrived the pair were around 20 metres apart, but at no point did the man make any effort to run away.
Both officers and the woman agreed the man did not act as if he was under the influence of alcohol, and remained calm at all times.
In a final twist to the story the officer at the scene told the judge that before taking the defendant away the girl had approached the man, who told her he had a present for her. She in turn told him she also had a present for him, before kissing him on the cheek.
Both the mother and the nanny claim they had seen the man before in the area but had never spoken to him. The case continues.

SAN ANTONIO
Emergency Cuts
San Antonio is to lose its 24-hour emergency ambulance after it was decided the temporary measure was unnecessary in winter. The managing director of the 061 service, Jaume Ripoll, announced back in March that a 24-hour service would be maintained in San Antonio during the key tourist months of June-September to support the only other 24-hour vital support ambulance which worked out of Ibiza Town. He made it clear at the time that the change would only be temporary, and that two 24-hour emergency ambulances were unnecessary during the quieter winter months. However, it was hoped the change would be made permanent, something which is not to be the case, for the time being at least.
San Antonio will continue with an emergency unit during twelve hours of the day but the municipality will be covered by the Ibiza unit at night.
On average, during the winter months, the vital support ambulances are called into action two or three times a day, with Ripoll saying it took just ten minutes to get from Ibiza to San Antonio, a claim branded as exaggerated by ambulance drivers.

SAN JOSE
Adult Education
Those wishing to undertake adult education activities organised by the Town Hall have until 10th October to sign up. There will be a number of different activities this winter including pottery, painting, computing at various different levels, yoga and Catalan. Courses will be two hours long, twice a week. Other activities, including Arabic and furniture restoration, will also be available depending on demand.
Last year there were a total of 18 courses on offer attended by 300 people. For a full list, or to sign up for a course, just visit the Town Hall in San Jose or one of the supporting offices in Cala de Bou or San Jordi.

Club to Close
The axe seems to have finally fallen on the controversial club, DC-10, after it was confirmed on Friday that the temporary suspension of the sentence handed out by the Town Hall had been lifted. The club will now be forced to close its doors for a total of one year, as well as receiving a 300,000 fine. The sentence had been temporarily put on hold after the owners of the club appealed against the decision. However, they will now have to face up to the charges, which will possibly begin this week.
The Town Hall found the club guilty of noise pollution, not possessing the appropriate license for the activity being carried out, and exceeding its capacity which stands at just 96.

SANTA EULALIA
5-Star Golf Plans
The owners of the Roca Llisa golf course have unveiled their plans to build a luxury hotel on the site. The plans are currently at the Island Council, but have already received the backing of the Town Hall of Santa Eulalia and the activities department of the Island Council, who both see the project as a huge benefit to tourism in the area, especially during the winter months.
The 200-capacity complex will cost a total of 14 million and take around two years to build. It plans to construct a main building to the east of the golf course where the main services of the hotel will be built. Two annexes will be adjoined to this which will incorporate ten building extensions set to house 40 suites, 20 juniors of around 70 m2 with terraces of 10m2, and 20 double suites of 110m2 and 35 metres of terrace or 75m2 of garden.
The construction of 30 additional villas is also included in the plans to the east of the main building which will house all of the other double suites.
Vehicles will only be able to drive to the main car park, with access from there by foot or golf buggy.
The ambitious plans now need the approval of the environmental department at the Island Council, something which may prove tricky as the 10,850 m2 complex will be built on rustic forest land.

New Bus Station
Last week saw final negotiations for the new bus station in Santa Eulalia completed. The mayor, Vicent Mari, revealed that after much discussion the new installations will be located in Cas Capita, in front of the residents home Can Blai. The mayor confirmed his administration had successfully negotiated the transferral of 15,000 m2 of land, although he could not confirm how much space the new station would actually take up.
The complex negotiations involved a piece of land of 30,000 m2 in size. Half of this was given to the Town Hall for use as a bus station on condition the other half was reclassified as urbano (buildable). This involved modifications to the Land Use Plan which will hopefully be approved next month.
The bus station is set to cost around 4.3 million, although Mari said he hoped the bill would be picked up by the Balearic Government, as was the case with the recently completed station in San Antonio.
Now that a suitable location has been found, it is hoped the installation can be completed by 2011.

SAN JUAN
Beds Banned
The Balearic Government announced it would prohibit sunbeds and parasols on the beaches of s´Illot des Rencli and Cala Xucla from next year. The decision was taken after a report suggested their presence could be having a negative effect on the natural environment in the area. Cala d´en Serra was also included in the review but, for the time being, will remain unaffected. Both of the beaches in San Juan lie inside the Xarxa Natura boundary, a protected area.
The moves follow the decision of San Jose who decided to keep Cala Vadella virgin this year, an option it claims has been a complete success.

CRIME & INCIDENTS
Local Dies
A gas explosion resulted in the death of a 76-year-old man last week in the centre of San Rafael. At around 12.50 p.m. a large explosion could be heard in the area, one which rattled the windows of nearby houses. Neighbours immediately rushed to the single floor house, where the elderly man lived alone with his dog. The fire service was soon on the scene, and moments after finding the lifeless dog under a support beam, they located the man in his bed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the fire was said to be two gas bottles which had been left open, prompting investigators to suggest the explosion had been intentional. Although they are yet to confirm the death was suicide, it remains the most likely option.
The deceased had a total of four children, three of which still live on the island, with one now living in the UK. He had lived in the house for the last 32 years and was well known in the area, although recently he had been suffering the effects of a pulmonary infection.

Moped Death
A 22-year-old Spanish man has died after crashing his moped on the Ibiza-San Antonio road. Police revealed the accident occurred at 10.30 p.m. close to Amnesia nightclub. They said the moped did not take the roundabout opposite the fire station and instead smashed into a road sign. The 30-year-old female passenger was rushed to intensive care, where she remains in a critical condition. However, despite all the efforts of the emergency services, including members of the fire service who were first on the scene, nothing more could be done to save the driver. Investigators claimed the accident was caused by excessive speed.

Court Date
The former Valencia and Spanish goalkeeper, Santiago Canizares, appeared in court last week as part of the el Brujo case which broke at the beginning of last year. The ex-footballer is accused of maintaining sexual relations with a girl when she was underage.
In the presence of around fifteen photographers from across the country Canizares arrived early in court accompanied by his wife, Mayte Garcia, whom he married on the island in July. At around 11.30 a.m. he entered a room and underwent a face-to-face showdown with his accuser in front of the judge. The confrontation lasted around two and a half hours, and at just after 2 p.m. Canizares and his wife left the courthouse, where there was a car waiting for them. He refused to make any comment to the crowd of around 30 people who were now waiting for him, as did his lawyer. However, although the judge gave strict instructions for the confrontation to remain private, sources close to the case confirmed that Canizares denied the accusations.
The scandal first emerged back in February last year after a woman claimed she was forced to have sexual relations with the 52-year-old mentalist Tomas A.R. Within days a total of five women from both Ibiza and Valencia had come forward to make similar claims, some of which occurred when two of the girls were minors. The accused was arrested and held in custody while more evidence was gathered.
Mentalism is defined as a sub-category within the field of magic. It has to do with tricks dealing with the mind's power. Rather than relying heavily on tools or grand illusions, it has more to do with trying to give the impression that the magician can tap into the minds of audience members, or use his or her own mind control to cause objects to move, etc. Some think that mentalism actually depends on some spiritual connection between the supernatural realm and the magician. While there might be a very remote possibility that some magicians actually do have some insight into the spiritual world, most illusionists use mentalism tricks and strategies just like in any other type of magic.
Tomas had worked as a psychologist at both Pena Deportiva de Santa Eulalia, and SD Eivissa, both of whom are now in the second B division, whilst residing in a family house in San Lorenzo, where he also carried out his own private practice as a mentalist, as well as in a gym in Can Escandell, the son of the owner of which was also arrested last year but later temporarily released. Tomas also had an office of the dark arts in Valencia, which was where he met Canizares and other members of the Valencia football team.
According to sources close to the investigation the two men passed themselves off as witches and magicians, and convinced a number of girls into believing they had magical powers, whilst forcing them to maintain sexual relations. Finally a total of fifteen girls came forward to testify similar stories. During this period the name of Canizares was mentioned by one of the girls who maintained she had had sexual relations with the footballer whilst at a party. He immediately denied the accusation and promised to testify in the case to clear his name.
Although at first Tomas refused to testify, he later changed his mind and officially denies all of the claims.

Non Appearance
The public prosecutor ordered for the search and capture of a British man last week, after he failed to appear in court on drugs charges. The man was surprised whilst in a hotel room in San Antonio with a total of 11 grams of MDMA. He faces a total of 4 years in jail and a fine of 1,293, after he was arrested under suspicion of trying to sell the drugs to a third party.
The court contacted the British Consulate several weeks ago to notify the citizen of his pending court appearance. They were, however, unable to locate the defendant.

FINANCIAL NEWS
Safety Assurances
As the worldwide crisis deepened the economy minister in Spain, Pedro Solbes, assured worried savers that their money was safe, claiming the Spanish financial system was sound.
"Having studied the available data, we think that the Spanish financial system is in no danger," Economy Minister Pedro Solbes told a news conference. "The system is reasonably comfortable and is not in a comparable situation to other countries."
"Spain can count on a strong deposit guarantee system," Solbes said of an existing fund operated by the Bank of Spain, which covers up to 20,000 in all Spanish bank accounts. "Citizens should know that their savings face no risk."
The Spanish banking institutions have so far escaped unscathed in recent months, with the biggest bank, Santander, even helping itself to part of Bradford and Bingley, after the company ran into trouble.

Unemployment Rise
The current economic crisis continued to bite on the island as the latest unemployment figures showed an increase in the number of people out of work of 46 per cent compared to this time last year. On 30th September the jobless total hit 6,048 people, a figure which has not been reached during the past 20 years, although the working population has increased dramatically during the last few years. However, a poor tourist season, added to the continued decline in the construction industry, has ensured the dole queue has continued to grow to record highs.
The news came as national unemployment figures showed a total of 11.3 per cent of the working population were now out of work - the second-highest level in the European Union a figure which represents a dramatic change from the days, not so long ago, when Spain was creating roughly a third of all new jobs in the euro zone. The long term outlook looks no brighter, with the bank BBVA predicting that the unemployment figure could hit 14 per cent by the end of 2009.
Worryingly, joblessness is rising three times faster among immigrant workers, four million of whom arrived in Spain in the last decade to work in the construction industry and other services.
There will also be no recovery on the island in the distant future, with local constructors claiming business would not begin to pick up until the middle of 2009. The situation will also not be helped by the fact that more and more hotels are beginning to close earlier, with record numbers set to shut their doors during the first fifteen days of October according to the Hotel Federation.
On a national scale the numbers do not paint a pretty picture. Spains current account deficitnow 10 per cent of GDPis the worlds second biggest after the US. The budget surplus that last year stood at 23.4 billion, the second highest in the euro zone, has crashed to a deficit of nearly 5 billion.
This reduction has caused worry within the PSOE party with the Finance Minister, Pedro Solbes, warning that the economy would shrink from 3.8 per cent growth in 2007 to 1.6 per cent this year and 1 per cent in 2009, although he also predicted that it could hit zero.
Meanwhile, the annual rate of inflation has risen to 5.3 per cent, the highest level since 1993, according to government statistics, and debt defaults have risen 172 per cent during the second quarter.

LEISURE & SPORT
Brit Triumphs
The British athlete, Chris Moss, won the San Antonio mile on Saturday coming home in a very respectable 4m06. The oldest such race in Spain got off to a frenetic start with the Pole, Tomasz Szymkowiak, setting a blistering pace from the off. Moss managed to stay with the leaders and several hundred metres from the finish had enough left in the tank to launch a surprise attack. He finished a half a second ahead of the Portuguese athlete, Antonio Trasvassos, with the next nine athletes all finishing within 6 seconds of each other.
The female race was won by local favourite, Sara Cardona, in a time of 5m34, with Susana Gavila and Marta Muela, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

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