Duke of Palma testifies in court in Mallorca
The Duke of Palma, son-in law of King Juan Carlos of Spain, appeared in court in Majorca over the weekend to testify in a corruption case. He is suspected of embezzling millions of euros of public money.
Allegations suggest he used his privileged position to secure lucrative deals for his not-for-profit foundation, the Noos Institute, and subsequently diverted sums of money to off shore accounts.
Based in Palma de Mallorca, the Noos Institute was a charitable organisation that organised sporting events and conferences. Inaki Urdangarin chaired the charity between 2004 and 2006. Shortly after the investigations and claims of wrongdoing began, he left Spain with his family to set up home in the US.
The affair constitutes one of Spain’s longest running corruption scandals. The 44 year old is being questioned by prosecutors and lawyers but has not yet been formally charged. It is up to the judge to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to bring charges.
The former Olympic handball player married the king’s youngest daughter, Cristina, in 1997. The corruption case has rocked the popular royal family. The Spanish people are indignant about the royal involvement, especially at a time when the country is facing record unemployment levels and tough austerity measures. Whilst Urdangarin was suspended from royal engagements in December 2011, when he was formally named as a suspect, some believe that the monarchy has attempted to cover up the duke's involvement in the scandal.
Around 200 angry demonstrators greeted Urdangarin as he arrived at the courthouse in Palma for the preliminary hearing on Saturday. They jeered and some threw eggs. There had been concerns over the duke’s safety, hence special permission was granted for him to arrive at court in a car rather than on foot.
On arrival at the court the duke said he intended to prove his innocence, claiming that he had taken decisions ‘correctly and with total transparency’. Urdangarin’s lawyer this week stated his client had ‘made administrative errors’. Coverage in the Spanish press yesterday suggests that the judge was not satisfied with the responses Urdangarin during his testimony.
