Before the prosecutor, said he never asked commissions and claimed a total disregard for the management of the Institute Nóos
MADRID.- Iñaki Urdangarin replied in a whisper, as if ashamed to hear. The judges asked four times to raise his voice. “Sorry, Your Honor,” repeated the brother of Philip VI, uncomfortable in his rendezvous with history. Never before has a relative of the king of Spain had been questioned in a trial as accused of stealing public money.
Two hours was submitted yesterday Urdangarin, in Palma de Mallorca, this tortuous process, until he saved the recess. At that time it was enough to claim a total lack of management Nóos Institute, which under his chairmanship obtained finger contracts worth millions of government.
“I’m not a broker nor brass tolls, as here said “he dissociated himself from the bench. At the back of the room he could hear his wife, Infanta Cristina, accused of having collaborated with him on two tax offenses.
More notes to understand this issue
A traumatic prominence to the Infanta Cristina and Casa Real
The anti-corruption prosecutor Pedro Horrach bombed to very specific questions about contracts and negotiations related to the Nóos Institute. He shielded in the same expressions: “I do not know”; “I do not remember well”; “I suppose”. He blushed at every cross-examination. Every now and then the right hand to his forehead. it was deemed to talk doubtfully.
The only irregularity admitted was that society Aizoon, whose property shares with his wife, had fictitious employees to obtain tax benefits, but blamed those maneuvers to counter Miguel Tejeiro, delinked the trial without charge.
“I spent what engaged me, had some advisers to these issues. In some employees did not know they were with us. I was surprised to learn during the process”, Urdangarin said, 48 , former professional handball player.
Aizoon ghost was one of the companies to which part of the 6.2 million was diverted to the Nóos Institute in theory a charity, raised between 2003 and 2007 for organizing activities promoting sport in Valencia, the Balearic islands and Madrid.
A Urdangarin eight is accused, among other crimes, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and evasión- by which prosecutor demands 19 years in prison.
in the two weeks leading trial all defendants turned their backs. He was identified as the brain of an operation to defraud the state, taking advantage of his status as a member of the royal family.
“We were faced with a company headed by the son of the king [then Juan Carlos I]. It was unthinkable might happen anything strange,” he said, for example, former president Jaume Matas Balearic.
Another former official accused, Miguel Ballester, who was a close friend of the Bourbon family, recounted how Urdangarin called him angry modes to demand payment of bills never completed work.
until yesterday there was speculation that the king’s brother resigned to negotiate a deal with prosecutors to reduce the sentence, in exchange for accepting guilt. At the end Urdangarin stuck to the script of the innocent man and too busy to pay attention to the administrative details of the institute.
He said he did not look all budgets -a inflados- lights Nóos was wrong with the administrations for organizing public events. He also vowed not know how a bill becomes. At all times defended as “well-meaning” their business projects.
“I mainly engaged in monitoring, directing, directing …” he replied when Horrach then asked what his function. He explained that Nóos generate profits, but to be reinvested in other projects. And he admitted that he fees for consulting services was allocated.
Discomfort
Another awkward moment was when he mentioned a fee of 900,000 euros paid by the government of Valencia to Nóos by organizing a sports summit in 2004. of that number, about 400,000 euros were diverted to the network of companies that had Urdangarin and his partner, Diego Torres.
“How is it possible that money ends in the company that you own?” He asked Horrach. “I’m not expert on this subject because I have not devoted to that subject,” former Duke of Palma broke free.
From the Infanta Cristina barely spoke. The prosecutor, who exculpate battle began questioning with the display of a series of emails between spouses, the complainants allege that as evidence that she knew the shady dealings of money. He is trying to discredit them. The judges called him to order: “It is the first time an accusation question the proof of another accusation.”
The sister of Philip VI must declare after her husband, whose interrogation will continue next week. She is exposed to a penalty of up to eight years in prison. Will be the last of the 17 defendants come forward, before the start of a parade of 300 witnesses.
The Nóos case rocked the foundations of the Spanish monarchy and contributed decisively to the abdication of king Juan Carlos I on his son in June 2014. Since its proclamation, Philip VI institutional erected a wall of containment against his sister and her husband, with whom also the personal relationship is broken.
consultation between the socialists by a pact
militants of the Spanish Socialist Workers party (PSOE) could vote yesterday in a consultation on the pact signed by his party and the liberals Citizens bring the Spanish government to the socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, who reproached we can not join an executive change.
The vote is not binding, and that the agreement must be ratified by the Federal Committee of the PSOE party organ -maximum between past congresos- morning, the day before the start of the investiture debate in the Congress of Deputies.
Sanchez said yesterday in a ceremony with militants of his party in Madrid that was” consistent “and tried to promote the change of government, which currently is chaired by Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Popular party (PP, center right). The socialist candidate chided we do not want to join a government of change and say it is “as left” who is willing to vote against his investiture to keep Rajoy in power.
do not know, you do not remember
the husband of the Infanta Cristina rejected accusations
Billing
“I left the Institute Nóos without any paper. Look how I have come. I do not remember my professional life (…) I am not commission anything “
Features
“I the issue of invoices and I say no. I’m not responsible for issuing invoices, I am not administrator Nóos (…). I assigned hours as a consultant, but do not remember filling the hours”
roles
“I was mainly in supervision. lead, direct, as in the sports part of the European Games had greater involvement. He supervised and I was required in each project “
No comments:
Post a Comment