Investigators dealing with the police corruption affair in the city had suspected that there was more to this than the extortion and threats surrounding the city's nightlife. One of those implicated in the affair had blown the whistle, we learned. The judge and the prosecutor ordered the National Police in. Thirteen people at the town hall were detained for questioning on Monday. They included two former councillors from the 2011-2015 period when the Partido Popular was ruling the town hall. The operation had to do with the contract for the ORA blue zone parking that was awarded in 2013.
As the week progressed, we learned of the amount of public money that may have been "diverted" and of the amount that may have gone towards "commissions" (one and a half million). We discovered that a senior figure in the PP, the former deputy mayor Alvaró Gijón, was being named. He protested his innocence, denying that he had received a "commission" in return for the contract's award. The current mayor, José Hila of PSOE, suggested that there had been a PP network at the town hall which had been serving its own interests. The PP's spokesperson, Marga Duran, insisted that the PP was not a corrupt party. It all sounded like the old times.
The strange case of the eight-year-old girl
The case of the eight-year-old girl who was attacked in a Palma school playground by other pupils has been a strange one as well as a serious one. Education ministry inspectors issued their report into what they say happened. It concluded that the incident had been a fight over a ball and that there was no premeditation and no evidence of bullying.
On Friday, we suggested that the affair was being swept under the carpet and that there was an aspect of the case (for good reasons) not being publicly acknowledged. The girl's family, meanwhile, was outraged by the inspector's report. "They're taking us for fools." We also noted that a celebrated lawyer, Marcos García Montes, had offered his law firm's services to the family. The law firm is lining up charges - against the education minister and others at the ministry, against the school, against the pupils involved. A claim of attempted murder sounded extreme, but the case has become very much more than a simple scrap in the playground, as the ministry would have everyone believe.
Holiday prices
UK tour operators were becoming concerned about the effect of increased hotel prices on holidays next year. They were understood to be exerting pressure on Majorca's hoteliers to keep their prices down, given that UK tourists are faced with a much weaker pound.
The tour operator demands seemed at variance with what had been reported earlier in the week. The managing director of Thomas Cook UK, Chris Mottershead, had told the annual Abta convention that the travel industry has faced this scenario previously and it could handle it. (We have previously reported research which showed that a fall in the pound in 2013 had negligible impact on holidays.)
The hoteliers were not minded to bow to the demands. Indeed, one could almost detect a note of celebration (in Magalluf anyway). If UK tour operators and so therefore their clients were not willing to accept the higher prices (which were set back in the summer), then there were tour operators and tourists from other countries who would accept the prices. So much for any UK tourist loyalty to Magalluf was an impression given.
At least the hard-pressed British tourist won't have to stump up any more for the tourist tax next year. The government said that it had no plans to increase the tax, though it might be "reframed" for 2018.
5 comments
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Thomson's price for the same holiday next year has increased by £400. With the bad exchange rate and the tourist tax we won't be returning to Mallorca. The island has been like a second home and this situation is very upsetting.
I find this business of "too many tourists" a little strange - how many Mallorcans are employed in the travel and tourism industry? If tourism declines, and hotels shut, surely someone's going to lose out somewhere - and it's going to be the local yokel at the bottom of the pile, not the hoteliers - they will just up-sticks are go somewhere else. It's not that long ago that people on Mallorca were losing their homes following the "crash" - what's happened (and will happen) to those poor people?Just got back from Mallorca - enjoyed my lovey 4* hotel (which I paid handsomely for) but have decided my money will be going somewhere else next time. Wolfgang will be pleased :-)
I can't believe the 6 reds for Sandy's comments. I totally agree. The islands are rich and we have more than enough tourism, plus the place will be ruined by over development soon and people WILL go elsewhere for precisely that reason (as I have commented elsewhere, I predict the rise of Menorca. That's where the smart money is going because it is so quiet). The real issue is that the government is crap and corrupt, always will be, and local needs are not being adequately managed. It is a travesty that we have poverty here and that locals are being priced out of affordable accommodation. As always in life, the poor are being suppressed and exploited in a place where a minority have lost the cards, in this case wealth from tourism.
Very rich indeed ,who gave you most of the wealth you hippocrite, THE BRITISH I came here on holiday over 40 years ago when people had very little and now you don't want us , outside of the big yellow ball in the sky you have no industry or any thing to keep you all employed except tourism so a couple of years with out us you will change your tune ,plenty other places in the Med to holiday in with better value so do not flatter yourselves.
Raise the tourist tax and the Hotel prices ...there are too many tourists ...the Balearics are very rich islands and don't need any more money