“What Fraud?” MacAnthony Asks!
Many on the MRISG Forum ask the question and make allegations against Darragh MacAnthony and his former Directors and Sales Staff? However, Dominic Pickering and Darragh MacAnthony appear to insist that the fraudsters are the MRISG members. One part of the MacAnthony Scam will be heard in a Spanish court on January 25th 2012 members wonder what he will say about that.
In the UK the legislation about Fraud is very clear covered by the Fraud Act 2006. However, other countries have their own legislation…. which normally amounts to the same but under differing legislation and wording.
Consider the facts and Judge for yourself:
MacAnthony Realty International web of companies were set up in Spain then the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, USA etc.. This would suggest a well established and expanding international company with branches all over the world all being in turn controlled by a central company in Luxembourg. This would not be at all unusual for a large and expanding corporation but at the end of the trail you would expect to find a responsible management company run by independent professional directors and shareholders who take responsibility and control of those other subsidiaries and not the very same directors of those subsidiaries…. With MRI unfortunately the trail goes cold at this point and it then appears, with 20:20 hind sight, that the whole set-up was to filter cash away from the other, apparently legitimate companies, to another country and directly into the pockets of the directors and shareholder/s side stepping the tax authorities in each country.
MRISG
In what has been described by MRISG Members as the largest property scam uncovered in years, they have found is that the very network of companies, dubious deals, false advertising, boiler room sales teams and sales team lies and miss-representations has protected Darragh MacAnthony from prosecution by authorities in every country. Weather by design or by accident it worked well by the deceptions taking place in one country, the contracts are with companies in another and the money is transferred to a third company in yet another country. The last and possibly the best twist to the scam is MRI employed, apparently legitimate, Lawyers like Martinez-Echevarria and Emily Lemoniati to act for their Victims/Clients (some would insist they were just victims). The evidence has later emerged that these lawyers did not act in the best interests of their clients and would appear to have been simply an intricate and complicit part of the whole MacAnthony Scam from the beginning. Although they can all post their views below if they think this not to be the case.
The Serious Fraud Office in the UK have, despite Darragh MacAnthony’s and Dominic Pickering’s protestations, investigated their web of companies and found that the very jurisdictional advantages used by international fraudsters had been exploited to the full by MRI to avoid prosecution: No single country has the specific jurisdiction for any specific fraud because different parts of the scam were carried out in different countries and monies ‘laundered‘ through other countries.
The lawyers Carter-Ruck and in particular Adam Tudor and Isabel Hudson were also very effectively used to, quite legally, threaten and frighten anyone who dared to publicly speak out about the scam thereby keeping the majority of the public ignorant of the wider scam of the MacAnthony group of companies from as early as 2007 or 2008. As a result numerous websites were attacked by Carter-Ruck who used the ludicrous UK Libel Laws to either shut them down or force them to remove negative, but probably truthful, allegations against their clients, MacAnthony Realty International. However, you read this now due to the efforts of a US based team of IT experts who consider this sort of censorship as aberrant and a breach of every person’s right to freedom of speech.
What is more frightening is that all the law firms involved in this scam continue to operate as, apparently legitimate and trustworthy outfits. Every one of them has a responsibly to the law in their own country but failed due to greed, stupidity or intentional criminality to allow MacAnthony and his directors to pull off his scams. Those lawyers need to look closely at the moral arguments, issues and not just fall back on their very fat wallets. Will we see any of them struck off…. Don’t hold your breath they are above the law in virtually every country because they consider themselves to be the law and anyone saying otherwise will be censured.
It would be nice to see some comments in defence of MacAnthony, Carter-Ruck and others but the MRISG doubt that any would be forthcoming. If you have any reasonable explanation for the web of companies set up and controlled by Darragh MacAnthony please speak up because our Lawyers and Law Enforcement Officers have no other explanation.
MacAnthony Realty International Ireland Limited
Insolvency proceedings begun:- www.insolvencyjournal.ie/
MacAnthony Realty International Ireland Limited
26 September 2011
Meeting details: 2nd Floor, Kandoy House, 2 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3 on 7th October 2011 at 11am
Registered address: 28 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
Last accounts filed: 31/12/2008
CRO number: 386664
It may be Dominic Pickering can answer the questions but doubt this spineless bully will now the truth is all coming out.
I wonder if Peterborough United Football Club have anything to add? I doubt it as they still believe MacAnthony to be a saint.
Read a little more about this company and ask your own questions? Here
This issue is being discussed on ThePropertyPin
Members of the MRISG Forum are now demanding to know why UK and European Authorities allowed the scale of the MacAnthony Scams to go unchecked.
Spanish Class Legal Action FAQs
MRISG
As a member of the MRISG Members Only Forum you will be well aware the MRISG are organising a collective legal action against Darragh MacAnthony. The first action is already lodged with the courts in Spain and was discussed recently on this blog. These FAQs are to inform individuals of the opportunities and will answer some common questions to our lawyers about this next action.
Note for Darragh MacAnthony, former Directors of MacAnthony’s Companies and associated companies. It is only a matter of time now and is no longer if but when.
If you are an ex-director and wish to join forces as a prosecution witness as opposed to a defendant please contact MRISG. The same goes for any ex-employee who feels that they can contribute to the legal action your evidence may be invaluable and you will not be alone.
1. What case do I have?
In principle, everyone would have a civil against Martinez Echeverria Legal Independence (ME/LI) given that the conflict of interest would have rendered the legal representation service as “fake”. This would entitle anyone who bought through ME/LI from Macanthony (MRI) to bring an action, as they would be in this situation, for a refund of the legal fees paid towards the representation.
2. How about a civil case against MRI?
This would most certainly be a waste of time and money as these companies have been wound up and all but disappeared. However, it is clear that Macanthony ran his companies as a tool to be able to protect him from creditors, all the while flouting all regulations pertaining to fair trading, bookkeeping, accounting and not the least important, business ethics and morals. There is post about this legal angle at www.belegal.com, and it would entail bringing an action directly against Darragh Macanthony personally which, if successful, could see the winning party seizing his assets, including his football club.
Martinez-Enchevarria Logo
3. How do the civil differentiate from the criminal?
The criminal requires intent to defraud and monetary loss, by concocting a preconceived plan to persuade people to part with monies AND such people sustaining losses. The civil case requires contractual default either by not performing the obligation in the legal representation contract or, where the contract would have been null and void “ab initio”, that is, from its inception, due to the impossibility to provide legal representation service, as is the case, quite simply because ME/LI were already working for the other party.
Capital Financial Partners
4. Who are the alleged defrauders?
In principle, MRI, Capital Partners and ME/LI, and the individual who caused financial harm either directly, as a principal, or as an accessory (accomplices, co-operators).
5. Would I qualify for criminal case?
If you bought a property that was never built, or you bought a property because you were told that you could get a mortgage, or on the basis of a “guaranteed rental”, or once the property was known to not be built you were charged money to move to a further one (“bait and switch”) or, if you chose not to change developments you were charged to get your deposit acknowledged, and charged for it (“credit note”), then there are strong grounds to believe that fraud intervened (fraud understood as theft by swindle and misappropriation). We will however advise on whether you qualify for one action or another on the basis of the paperwork you have given us and what you can provide us.
6. Who can determine in which position am I in?
A lawyer with knowledge of the modus operandi of the triad (MRI, CFP and ME/LI) would be able to tell you where you stand, legally. Currently, no more than a few lawyers have acquainted themselves with this case.
7. What is required to know where I am?
We will need a short description of your position, stating namely whether your property was built, and if it was built, if you were given a mortgage approval in principle by CFP that convinced you that you qualified to get a loan and therefore a property, if you were offered a rental package, if you were subjected to the bait & switch session and ended up paying for this bogus service, if you were given a “credit note” signed by Macanthony or any of his acolytes and ended up paying for this bogus service, and a number of other deceits that had, as a result, the loss (will attach a form for this).
8. Can I run both actions at the same time?
No, the criminal action takes precedence over the civil one and in fact, it already includes the civil one as part of the compensations requested. If you start a civil case and then file a criminal one, the civil case will be “stayed”, or interrupted, until the criminal one is finalized.
9. Can I just join a civil case and forget about the criminal one?
Certainly, not a problem.
10. If other claimants are pursuing via the criminal claim, will my civil claim be “stayed”, that is, stopped?
Each claimant sues individually and not as part of class action, which in Spain is reserved only to Consumer Protection Associations. Therefore, the answer is no, you can sue via the civil courts to obtain redress on your particular case.
11. Can we all join under one case?
Certainly, collective or joint actions are groups of claimants that sue together, within one claim that encompasses all other smaller ones. But in reality, there are as many claims as people claiming although they case is progressed as one unit.
12. What is required to file the suit?
a. Signed letter of engagement (to be advised on).
b. Power of attorney (to be advised on).
c. Supporting documentation proving your investment, with particular reference being made to: contracts signed with the developer or Macanthony, proof of payment of deposit, “bait and switch” documents, “credit note” documents, rental guarantees and mortgage approvals in principle.
d. Any correspondence you may have had with Macanthony employees.
13. What if I have already sent the paperwork and letter of engagement to another member of the claimants’ legal team?
There is absolutely no problem as all claimants will be joined under one action and the objectives and aims pursued are the same.
14. Where will it be filed?
Jurisdiction is still not determined but in principle, the main center of the activities carried out by Macanthony was Spain, in particular Marbella,
15. How long will the Court case take?
It is difficult to tell given the variety of results when this question is made. We have been involved in a Court case that has just settled, prior to hearing, after 10 years, in relation to timeshare resale scam (details can be found at www.lawbird.com). This is, however, an abnormal and exceptionally lengthy case that has slept in Court for years and therefore, it is not to be used as an example. Statistically, a Court of First Instance case in Spain takes up to 6.9 months, and a Criminal case 8.9 months. This is perhaps also optimistic as most case would be filed by one single claimant against one single defendant, as is not our case, and so I would therefore be more comfortable with increasing this forecast by twice as much, at least.
16. Do I need to come to Spain to sue?
No, it can be done with powers of attorney although there is a possibility, not insignificant, that the defendants decide to call the claimants/plaintiffs to give a statement and that therefore, they have to attend personally. This, although unlikely, is possible.
17. How much are the fees?
After some discussion, it has been proposed that a fee of 7% of the sums claimed, plus VAT (18%), would be appropriate, 50% of which would be payable in advance and the balance on successful recovery of the sums and provided the sum obtained covers the balance of the pending legal fee. With a view to facilitate the payment of the initial 50% of the legal fee for the action, the initial payment can be split as follows: –
On signing the letter of engagement: €500 –
Payment of balance staggered: 6 equal monthly payments.
18. What about translation costs?
We do not have an issue with English documentation as the lawyers are able to do the translation in-house, and therefore, no further fees are required. If the documentation is in any other language different from English, Spanish or French, they would need to have the documents translated. In principle, translations need not be official provided the other party does not challenge the validity of these, which may occur only of the quality of the translation is poor, inexact or, alternatively, they wish to introduce the challenge as a spurious delaying tactic (a move that may, ultimately, backfire on the defendants).
19. What is latest about the MRI and Martínez-Echeverría Association?
The Association has now been duly incorporated. This organization is a non-profit making entity that will have, among its aims, to assist and endorse the legal case to be filed with the Courts, exposing the wrongdoings committed by the above companies and individuals at different levels, inclusive of media, Government and judiciary. Any person can join the association and in due course, members will be advised on the sum of a small contribution to cover maintenance costs that will allow the association to carry out the actions required to attain its objectives.
20. What do I need to get started?
In principle, indicating your willingness to join an action against will suffice, by emailing the address contact@mri-sg.org, indicating your contact details. Upon receipt of it, we will forward you a short request for information that we will use to advise on the likelihood of joining one action of another. The documentation we will require is listed on point 12.c. We undertake to provide you with an answer within 10 working days in respect of the action you are most likely to pursue.
Please read these questions carefully – if you need to speak to someone personally send your contact details to contact@mri-sg.org and your details will be passed to a member of the forum who will call you personally to discuss.
If you want to be part of this legal action for justice – Now is the time to come forward!
Rest assured you need not fear any further threats from any member of the MRI group, their lawyers or directly from Darragh MacAnthony.
We also know they read this blog and strongly suspect they also read the members only forum illegally and/or pay others to supply information illegally. So they will be very aware they could be breaching UK and Spanish Law by trying to Harass, Intimidate or Bully you any more and they could be subjected to criminal proceedings relating to any such actions. They will also be aware they are in breach of copyright and federal hacking legislation if caught hacking the forum too.
Also be aware some of our members have had offers to settle their disputes or provide the service paid for and promised but the promises have proved to be just that and are not fulfilled or not what they thought was agreed. So please be aware of the MacAnthony methods and speak to the the lawyers before agreeing to anything.
