Tag: Filomena

Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

Menas Case: Foundation Siglo XXI directors allegedly filed false invoices, unrealistic expenses and repeatedly drew funds from ATMs, meant for the care of migrant children, even charging botox facial treatments and posh restaurant bills to foundation debit cards

A comprehensive analysis conducted by Group I of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police yielded scandalous results, writes Spanish language daily Canarias7, regarding the alleged irregular use of the public funds intended for the care of unaccompanied minors, by the suspected to have been perpetrated by centres managed by the Foundation Social Response Siglo XXI on Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. In this case, driven by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, investigators discovered that the director of the Guiniguada centre charged the NGO responsible for €1,500 worth of beauty treatments and €1,113 for bills at top restaurants including Vinófilos, El Vasco de Vegueta, and Triciclo.

 
 

 
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Centre-Right Pact Between Regionalists (CC) And Resident Conservatives (PPAV) Returns Marco Aurelio Perez As Southern Mayor

The conservative Partido Popular-Agrupación de Vecinos (PP-AV) and the right of centre regionalist Coalición Canaria (CC) have this Thursday signed a local government pact that will shape the future of the southern Gran Canaria tourism municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The alliance, dubbed a “Pact for Stability and Socioeconomic Progress of San Bartolomé Tirajana”, represents 60% of the votes cast in the municipality’s recent local elections, emphasised the  mayor-elect, Marco Aurelio Pérez (PP-AV), who returns for the third time to lead the local council responsible for some of the most important tourism areas on the island, including Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and San Agustín.

 
 

 

Local Government Coalition Agreement Maspalomas and the South of Gran Canaria

A governing coalition pact has been finalised in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The Popular Party–Agrupación de Vecinos (PP-AV) conservative residents party is to join forces with regionalist centre-right Coalición Canaria (CC) to govern the main tourist municipality on Gran Canaria for the next four years. Marco Aurelio Pérez will serve as mayor for the entire four-year term, and the Popular Party will take charge of Employment, Sports, Roads and Infrastructure, and Human Resources, among other areas. The regionalists, led by Alejandro Marichal, will oversee Urban Planning, Economy and Finance, and Tourism as their main departments.

 
 

 

Storm Óscar Latest: Government of the Canary Islands Declares Rain Alert for Western Islands and Gran Canaria

A storm system, dubbed Óscar, has formed over the last few days over the mid-north Atlantic, unusual for this time of year, and has led to concern from meteorologists and journalists as it passes south of the Azores, its tail should reach The Canary Islands, before the system heads northeast towards mainland Spain.  Advisory warnings have been issued in expectation of heavy rainfall, primarily in the Western Isles of the Canary Islands Archipelago, though some rainfall is also expected to reach Gran Canaria over the next couple of days.  It seems unlikely that any major consequences will stem from the bad weather, however these things can be unpredictable and so every precaution is taken to ensure people are informed and kept safe.

 
 

 

Foundation Investigated for Alleged Mismanagement of Public Funds Meant for Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Minors

The 7th Investigative Court of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has opened a preliminary investigation into the Social Response Foundation Siglo XXI and four of its directors. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Las Palmas filed a complaint against them, alleging crimes that could include forgery of commercial documents, mismanagement, and embezzlement of public funds. The investigation aims to determine whether this nonprofit organisation, and its officials, could have misused public funds intended for the care of unaccompanied migrant minors, during the migration crisis of 2020 that was precipitated by the pandemic confinement on the islands, leading to a build up of arrivals having to be assessed and cared for by the Canary Islands Regional Government, using hotels left empty due to the lack of tourism. The estimated amount involved in the alleged misuse stands at around €12.5 million between 2020 and 2022 on Gran Canaria alone.

 
 

 

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All crew and passengers safe after night aboard ferry that ran aground in the Gran Canaria port of Agaete

All crew and passengers have been declared safe and well, after spending the night aboard a Fred Olsen ferry which ran aground, at around 9pm on Thursday, after the vessel had struggled with high winds and rough seas in Gran Canaria’s Northwest port of Agaete.  For several hours this Friday morning, two tugboats tried to move the stranded passenger ship into the port of Agaete, they were later joined by two more tugboats. All attempts made to release the vessel have been so far unsuccessful.

 
 

 

Emergency services from across the island had raced to the scene last night to assist in ensuring the safety the 59 passengers and 16 crew members on board, and following several unsuccessful attempts to free the craft, it was finally decided to evacuate the crew and passengers, who had spent all night on board the vessel, using a Salvamento Maritimo (maritime rescue) vessel, the Salvamar Nunki, to relay them to shore in collaboration with firefighters and emergency personnel from various services assisting the ship’s crew.
By 2:00 p.m. on Friday all the people on board had been brought to safety and accounted for leading to the majority of emergency personnel present being deactivated.

El pasaje y y la tripulacion del Fred Olsen ya han sido evacuados#FMA #Filomena pic.twitter.com/qenTI0cLLV
— Cabildo Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCab) January 8, 2021

A broad range of emergency services were present at the scene including Police, Civil Guard, Red Cross, CECOES, SUC, Civil Protection, Maritime Captaincy, Maritime Rescue, and Fred Olsen crew who have been applauded for showing great professionalism, local fishermen, political leaders, security personnel and port workers all paying homage to the calm shown by passengers who were said to have acted in an exemplary manner despite having been exposed to a tense situation for more than 14 hours.
The Bentago Express, ran aground on Thursday night in Agaete while trying to dock at the Puerto de Las Nieves. No injuries have been reported. The fast catamaran, which covers the route between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Gran Canaria, suffered damage to one of the engines.
The incident occurred a few minutes before ten o’clock at night. While Storm Filomena continued to produce strong winds and rough seas in the area. According to witnesses, the ship had tried to enter the dock and could not, and then on its second attempt suffered an engine failure.
 

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