Simon Wade
EVICTION proceedings have been launched to remove One Way Services from their Quesada office, the Olive Press has learnt.
The gestor at the centre of a province-wide fraud investigation has allegedly not paid rent for more than a year, according to his landlady.
The Olive Press has seen correspondence to confirm that a civil procedure is underway, and will not be affected by the criminal investigation also being carried out against Matt Smith, the owner of One Way Services.
The Olive Press spoke exclusively with Matt Smith’s landlady, Sandra Nicholson, who revealed: “He hasn’t paid his rent for over a year, he owes me more than €6,000 now.”
She said that his business seemed to be thriving with so many Brits seeking help to get registered under new Brexit rules.
She confirmed: “I have a case lodged in the civil courts of Torrevieja against Matthew Smith for the non payment of rent.”
The Olive Press has seen a copy of an email from her solicitor, Javier Rico Font of Almoradi, confirming that proceedings are with the Torrevieja courts.
Smith is at the centre of a scandal involving allegedly faked padron certificates and the ‘wrongful arrest’ of elderly and vulnerable British expats that were One Way clients.
The Olive Press first reported half a dozen British clients had been hauled in by Alicante Policia Nacional over the doctoring of official Town Hall documents on their residency applications.
Their ordeals included detention, hours of questioning by police and victims being fingerprinted and photographed.
The lawyer representing One Way Services, David Guijarro Mayor of ABC Solicitors, confirmed to the Olive Press that no-one other than Matt Smith is under investigation and that none of his clients were involved in the criminal activity.
One victim, 71 year-old widow Lily Higgins, described the experience as ‘humiliating’, after never being in trouble with the police in her life.
Another, Jane Long of Torrevieja, had to remove clothing in order for her tattoos to be photographed, as they were considered distinguishing marks.
Since publication, other victims have contacted us, with police confirming that at least 40 people have been affected.
Many of those affected are considering group action to approach One Way Services and demand compensation for the wrongful arrests.
Have you been affected by this issue or something similar? Please contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es and let us know
READ MORE:
– British expats caught up in faked residency probe on Spain’s Costa Blanca face two-year legal limbo and travel ban
