Exclusive: 'Mastermind' of the CWM pension scandal contested misconduct because ex-partner is detained in Spain

The alleged mastermind behind one of the greatest investment fraud in Spain insisted that it is innocent.

Darren Kirby, who founded Continental Wealth Management (CWM), said the Olive Press in an exclusive interview that he left Spain with 'only 50' in his pocket when it collapsed in 2017.

The 60-year-old confirmed in the record that the notorious “offshore investment company”, which the Costa Blanca set up, had lost “around € 35 million”.

But he denied that it was due to deliberate fraud and instead blamed a number of “bad investments”.

Read more: Exclusive: British fashion boss Jody Smart was found guilty for fraud

Hundreds of mainly older British expats determined that the value of their pension sports folios had collapsed as part of the CWM management.

After he fled Spain, first for Australia and then to Cambodia, he now lives again in the London area.

He told Olive Press this week that he was “aware” against his former company and that his ex-partner Jody Smart, 48, had been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for a number of fraud cases that were directly connected to CWM.

The judge in the case, Francisco Javier Guirau, said that Smart “benefited well from CWM's activities that were controlled by Kirby and ex-finance director Alan Gorringe”.

Read more: My signature does not appear: British fashion boss Jody Smart to make an appeal against CWM fraud fraud

However, Kirby insisted that he was innocent that he had misconduct after he had put a step back and handed over the company to Smart and Gorring (Gorring died in 2019).

He continued that despite the enormous losses “no fraud was committed by CWM”.

The former financial advisor also claimed that he had “no money” from the offshore investment system, which he set up in Alicante in 2010, and instead claimed to be victims himself.

In a bomb call from Great Britain, he beat his ex-partner Jody, now Jody Pearson, as a “willful paria” who “stole everything from me”.

Read more: Exclusive: Expat fashion chief Jody Smart assumes from Catwalk Queen to Alleycat after examining alleged multimillion investment fraud

“She took everything,” said the former financial advisor. “She even took my Savile Row suit and a sculpture of my little daughter when she was only six months old,” he said.

Kirby also insisted that on the advice of lawyers he “transferred everything to Jody's name” because “she was younger than me”.

She had “all assets, completely, completely,” he said.

This even included the Costa Blanca Villa, in which Kirby had “retired”.

Read more: Expat fashion designer Jody Smart accused of taking € 1 million from Continental Wealth Management (CWM)

“Everyone says I ran away – I didn't run away,” he insisted this week and spoke publicly for the first time.

“But as soon as I went, Jody has all my assets, the cars – and much more.”

In the coming weeks, the Olive Press will reveal more of Kirby's sensational claims about the CWM scandal.