A law student famous in Spain for conning his way into King Felipe VI’s swearing-in reception and other official events was arrested on Friday after reportedly leaving a restaurant without paying the bill, police officials said.
A police spokesman said Francisco Nicolas Gomez Iglesias, a 20-year-old dubbed “Little Nicholas,” had dinner with friends on Thursday and left without paying 500 euros (US$570).
“The young man then went to a nightclub were he was detained for fraud. He was questioned and released,” the spokesman said.
Spanish media outlets said that he dined with about 20 friends at an upscale restaurant in the center of Madrid and the group left after paying just 1,300 euros of their bill of 1,800 euros.
Staff then called police, but the owner of the restaurant decided not to press charges after Gomez’s friends promised to pay the outstanding amount owed, the reports said.
“Little Nicholas” first made headlines in Spain in October last year when he was arrested after allegedly passing himself off as a government adviser and asking a top businessman for a 25,000 euro commission to act as a go-between in a real-estate deal.
Gomez was bailed out while police investigated the case. He has appeared in photographs in the press alongside a string of top political figures.
Among the personalities with whom “Little Nicholas” has managed to rub shoulders are Spain’s conservative former prime minister Jose Maria Aznar and former IMF managing director Rodrigo Rato.
However, his crowning exploit was to sneak uninvited into a reception that following the swearing-in ceremony of King Felipe VI in June last year, when he was photographed in suit and tie, bowing and shaking the monarch’s hand.
Spain’s secret service agency, the National Intelligence Center, has filed a lawsuit against Iglesias for allegedly saying that he worked for the body in several radio and television interviews.
His story has captured the imagination of the Spanish public. Internet users have taken to superimposing images of “Little Nicolas” onto photos of famous scenes in film or history to imply ever more ludicrous scenarios, from sitting next to Jesus at the Last Supper to encountering Darth Vader.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS