AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson
Embezzlement investigation at USAP
The President of USAP Association (a partner club to the professional Rugby club) has resigned, following an investigation into ‘misappropriation’ of funds. The club has a budget of 1 million euros and tens of thousands of euros have gone missing.
2 million euros discovered in car boot
Gendarmes intercepted a car at Le Boulou and discovered 2 million euros in cash, piled in the boot. The car and occupants had been under surveillance by the gendarmes as part of a money laundering investigation of cannabis smuggling. The two suspects, from the south of France, are now in detention awaiting trial.
Scout leader sentenced for assaulting children
A 38 year old former Scout leader at the Saint Paul parish of Perpignan was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting 4 minors. He was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment and is permanently forbidden to contact minors.
Human traffic network disbanded
A huge operation involving police from Andalusia, Catalonia and France has resulted in stopping a well organised human traffic network. The passengers, mainly minors from Morocco or Algeria, had been kidnapped, abused and threatened. They were sent in buses from Almeria in Andalusia, then to La Junquera, where to avoid suspicion they were disembarked and sent in small groups by taxi across the border at Le Perthus. They were then picked up again by the bus to continue their journey to east France and Belgium.
Wet weekend
Heavy rain and thunderstorms caused many problems on Saturday, with most of the rain affecting the Albères; Elne, Palau-del-Vidre and Saint Genis-des-Fontaines. Argeles-sur-Mer suffered the most with 120mm of rain in just a few hours, causing a parked car to be washed away. In Saint-Cyprien many roads were closed, and firefighters were called out to over 40 incidents, mainly for flooded cellars.
And finally…..
When burglars raided the home of a family in Villeneuve-de-la-Raho, they left access to the back garden open. The family returned home to find that their pet Vietnamese pig had escaped – and later discovered that it had been shot by a hunter. The hunter claimed that he thought it was a sanglier, but in view of the fact that Maurice the pig was black and white, and also the fact that the hunter was outside the official hunting zone, a civil complaint is being brought against him and hopefully he will lose his hunting permit.
