CASO URDANGARIN: LA JUSTICIA TIEMBLA ANTE LA MONARQUIA

El juez José Castro ha mostrado este lunes su sorpresa, y en cierto modo preocupación, por la difusión este fin de semana de noticias falsas, erróneas o tergiversadas mientras se producía la declaración en su juzgado del duque de Palma, Iñaki Urdangarin, sobre las actividades del Instituto Nóos.

Tras acudir al juzgado a firmar la declaración del imputado, de 43 folios, el magistrado ha reconocido a preguntas de los periodistas que muchas informaciones que han circulado estos días en contra de Urdangarin no se correspondían con la realidad.

El juez incluso ha desmentido frases atribuidas a él de su interrogatorio a Urdangarin que niega que se produjeran en términos de enfrentamiento como se ha reproducido en algún medio de comunicación.

En este sentido, y durante el fin de semana, el abogado y portavoz de Urdangarin, Mario Pascual Vives, ha tenido que tomar la iniciativa en dos ocasiones para desmentir supuestas afirmaciones que varios medios de comunicación habían atribuido a su defendido en su comparecencia durante el sábado y el domingo.

Por otro lado, el magistrado "tampoco tiene la intención de volver a llamar a declarar a Urdangarin, aunque, como en toda investigación judicial, si apareciese algún dato de gran importancia o él lo solicitase, el duque de Palma podría volver a comparecer en los juzgados de instrucción de Palma de Mallorca", según informa Servimedia.

Fuente: http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1322107/0/juez-castro/noticias-falsas/declaracion-urdangarin/

La infanta Cristina e Iñaki Urdangarin viajan a Palma de Mallorca

Los duques se trasladan este viernes a la isla para que Urdangarin declare ante el juez

24.02.12 | 08:02h. Informativos Telecinco |

Etiquetas: Infanta Cristina · Iñaki Urdangarin · Palma de Mallorca · duques de palma · Caso Noos

La infanta Cristina e Iñaki Urdangarin viajan a Mallorca. El duque tiene previsto declarar ante el juez que investiga el caso Noos a primera hora de la mañana del sábado. Así, este viernes se trasladará a la isla acompañado de su mujer, un apoyo fundamental que también manifestó el jueves la propia familia Urdangarin en una carta enviada a sus allegados. En la misiva, se agradecía el apoyo recibido en estos momentos de "acoso y desprestigio".
Los Duques de Palma
Y además...

La familia Urdangarin agradece el apoyo en momentos de "acoso y desprestigo"
El rey recuerda que los jueces tienen "en exclusiva" la atribución de impartir justicia

A menos de 24 horas para la declaración de Iñaki Urdangarin ante el juez, el duque viajará a Mallorca acompañado por su esposa, la infanta Cristina.

Así, la hija del rey ha decidido finalmente acompañar a su marido en los que, probablemente, son los momentos más delicados de su vida.

El miércoles, la infanta regresó a España desde EEUU para estar presente en el juicio que se sigue contra Iñaki Urdangain. Un día antes, el duque viajó desde Washington a España para ultimar la preparación de su defensa con su abogado.

Apoyo de la familia

Mientras, la familia Urdangarin Liabaert envió el jueves un correo electrónico a sus allegados para agradecerles el apoyo recibido en estos momentos de "acoso y desprestigio" al Duque de Palma, Iñaki Urdangarin.

"Gracias por las innumerables muestras de apoyo y cariño recibidas que nos han animado y dado fuerzas en estos momentos tan tristes y difíciles. Nos habéis hecho sentir muy acompañados, honrados y tremendamente agradecidos", expresaron los familiares.

El duque de Palma declarará este sábado ante el juez al ser imputado por presuntas irregularidades cometidas a través del Instituto Nóos.

Source: http://www.telecinco.es/informativos/sociedad/Infanta_Cristina-Inaki_Urdangarin-Palma_de_Mallorca-duques_de_palma-Caso_Noos_0_1565843441.html

Spanish duke to be questioned by judge in embarrassing first for Madrid's royal family

Inaki Urdangarin, the son-in-law of King Juan Carlos, is preparing to defend himself in court in a widening embezzlement scandal.

By Fiona Govan, Madrid

7:13PM GMT 18 Feb 2012

Spain's royal family has long enjoyed a level of privacy and respect that the Windsors could only dream of.

But, in an uncomfortable first for the Madrid monarchy, one of their number will face questioning from a judge this week in a scandal which has rocked the royal family and raised questions over the future of the monarchy.

Inaki Urdangarin, the son-in-law of King Juan Carlos, is preparing for a court appearance in which he will defend himself in a widening embezzlement scandal. Hearings into the case began last weekend at a court in Palma on the Balearic island of Majorca and will culminate on Saturday with the long anticipated appearance of the Duke of Palma, who received the title when he married Cristina, the King's youngest daughter, in 1997.

The Duke, 44, a former professional handball player who won Olympic medals for Spain in the sport, was formally made a suspect in the wide-ranging fraud case that alleges the embezzlement of millions of euros of government funds through a non-profit organization he co-directed between 2004 and 2006.

Investigators claim to have discovered a "black hole" in the accounts of the Noos Institute, which organised sporting and tourism events for the regional governments of the Balearic Islands and Valencia.

The King has endeavoured to distance himself from the scandal. Last week it emerged that in 2006 he sent an adviser to try to persuade the Duke to drop his business interests in Spain.

Shortly afterwards, the Duke resigned as a director of the Noos Institute and moved, with the Infanta Cristina and their four children, to Washington DC to take up a consultancy post with the Spanish telecoms firm, Telefonica.

His exile, voluntary or otherwise, was the start of a spectacular fall from grace that culminated last December with a Palace announcement that the duke had been suspended from carrying out official engagements.

He earned an unprecedented rebuke from the highest palace official and confidente of the King, Rafael Spottorno, who told Spanish media that the Duke's behaviour seemed "less than exemplary".

The King himself made a thinly veiled reference to the case when he said in his annual Christmas speech that "any reprehensible act should be tried and punished in accordance with law".

The once favourite son-in-law and his immediate family were absent from the usual Christmas celebrations at the table of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at their Zarzuela palace, in what appeared to be a snub to their own daughter and grandchildren.

The Duke even suffered the indignity of having his waxwork image removed from its setting among other royal figures at Madrid's waxwork museum, and relegated instead to a spot in the sports hall, ostensibly to celebrate the fact that he had won bronze medals in the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics.

Last week the court heard allegations of false accounting and tax evasion by the Noos Institute ( http://noosinstitute.com/ ) and a swathe of smaller companies under its umbrella as business associates of the Duke, themselves under suspicion, were called to testify.

Prosecutors believe up to €5.8 million could have been misappropriated, and have uncovered evidence of funds being squirreled away to offshore accounts in Belize, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom.

The exact details of the allegations against the duke have not yet been made public but when he appears in court on Saturday morning he will be questioned about the extent of his knowledge and involvement in the fraud.

Amid fevered speculation that the duke will receive special treatment because of his royal connections, the investigating magistrate last week accepted a petition that his statement be heard behind closed doors and without the usual procedure of video recording the session.

He may also be allowed to be driven into the court building to avoid walking past the scores of press expected to gather for the hearing.

Last week anti-corruption investigators began the labourious process of interviewing more than 100 employees of the companies run by the Duke and his associates.

The statements, leaked to the press, painted a picture of unsavourary business practices. Employees hired to work in the private home of the Duke and Infanta, a €6m mansion in Barcelona's upmarket Pedralbes district, claimed to have been given contracts worth more than their actual wages through companies under investigation.

Other testimonies suggested there were dozens of "ghost employees" appearing on the books to justify lucrative consultancy contracts.

Even the Infanta Cristina, who was co-owner of Aizoon, one of the companies under investigation, has not escaped scrutiny. Jose Castro, the magistrate investigating the case, has so far stopped short of summoning her to give evidence but calls are growing for her to be indicted alongside her husband.

"It seems that most of the responsibility was with her husband, but he pulled her into the businesses, and she is not a stupid person," commented Jose Ramon Soriano, a Supreme Court judge not involved in the case, when asked if the Infanta Cristina should be indicted. "If she formed part of the companies involved, then of course she would know something."

The duke has said little beyond bland statements released through his lawyer that he has "acted entirely properly" and "expects to be fully exonerated."

And he expressed "profound regret the serious damage to the image of my family and that of the King's household, which has nothing to do with my private activities."

But the damage that the case is has wrought on the institution of the monarchy is profound.

"The Urdangarin case has been a time-bomb that has blown apart relationships at the heart of the Royal family," believes Pilar Urbano Zamora, a royal correspondent who has written several biographies on the royals.

She said gossip in royal circles suggested a deepening rift between the King, his wife and his daughters as he sought to strengthen ties between his heir, Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.

Princess Letizia, who is known to have had a frosty relationship with her two sisters-in-law at the best of times, enjoys huge popularity at home and abroad, and is feted for her style and poise.

"It's true that the Prince Felipe and Letizia do not want to be contaminated by the situation and haven't spoken to Infanta Cristina in months," Ms Zamora said.

The future king and queen have stepped up their public duties over the last year fueling speculation that King Juan Carlos, who aged 74 has suffered several health scares in recent years, was preparing to step aside.

"But I believe rumours that the King is preparing to abdicate are unfounded," said Mrs Urbano.

"Above all what the monarchy needs now in order to survive is continuity and the King to steer them through this most difficult of times."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/9090887/Spanish-duke-to-be-questioned-by-judge-in-embarrassing-first-for-Madrids-royal-family.html

Spain duke Inaki Urdangarin suspended in fraud scandal

Duke of Palma de Mallorca Inaki Urdangarin (file image) Inaki Urdangarin has denied siphoning public funds into other companies

The son-in-law of Spain's King Juan Carlos I has agreed to step down from official duties amid a rare corruption scandal for the royal family.

Inaki Urdangarin, who married Princess Cristina in 1999, is being investigated over claims he misused public funds given to a foundation he ran.

He has denied wrongdoing over the events in 2004 to 2006 but has said he regrets the "damage" caused.

The royal family has said it will now make its accounts publicly available.

Rafael Spottorno, head of the king's household, said the 43-year-old Duke of Palma de Mallorca - a former Olympic handball player - had agreed with the palace that he would not take part in official duties for the foreseeable future.

The duke's behaviour "does not seem exemplary", Spanish media quoted Mr Spottorno as saying, but he said he had the right to be presumed innocent.

It was unclear whether his wife, the king's youngest daughter Princess Cristina, was also affected.

The exact details of the accusations against the duke have not been made public.

But Spanish media say the duke is accused of misdirecting part of some 6m euros (£3.9m: $8m) to his not-for-profit Noos Insitute by regional governments to organise sporting events.

Some of the money allegedly ended up in for-profit companies which he ran. He stepped down as head of the institute in 2006.

The duke's lawyer, Mario Pascual Vives, said his client was "worried, saddened and rather indignant at what is coming out in the media".

"He will always clearly feel... he is fully innocent."

The Spanish royal family is largely well-regarded in the country, with King Juan Carlos credited with steering the country through the transition from dictatorship to democracy.

It has responded to the scandal by announcing it will make available a full breakdown of its annual spending budget.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero told Spanish media the public must "value the institutional role which the monarchy has", and that he hoped everyone would "respect the judicial process".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16152530