treasure
Spain identifies ship in Odyssey case
'The mystery is over'
12.05.08 - 18:29 -
A U.S. lawyer representing Spain in the case of a sunken ship and its valuable haul has said that an inspection of artifacts from the wreck discovered by U.S. treasure hunters conclusively shows that it is a 19th century Spanish frigate.
James Goold make the remarks during a press conference at the Culture Ministry in Madrid, adding that throughout the legal battle for ownership of the wreck and its contents the actions of U.S. treasure hunting firm Odyssey Marine Exploration have been "morally and legally unacceptable."
He was referring to the Spanish government's allegations that Odyssey secretly removed coins and other artifacts from the vessel and then falsely claimed it was unaware of the identity of the ship.
Spain has contested Odyssey's claim to the wreck - which the company codenamed "Black Swan" - in a court case in Tampa, Florida.
"The mystery is over," Goold said.
After a thorough inspection of the artifacts last month by Spanish government representatives, all evidence points to the fact that the estimated $500 million in gold and silver coins that were discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic "coincide" with the haul carried by the La Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes and "belong to the Spanish navy," Goold said.
He said that "with our identification of the ship as a Spanish warship, the ship is protected by the principle of sovereign immunity, which applies to the ships of the navies of all nations, whether in international or sovereign waters."
The lawyer added that the site where Odyssey's "secret operations" were carried out is the same spot where La Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes was sunk.
The evidence gathered "put Odyssey directly at the scene of the crime," he said, adding that Spain expects the Tampa court to order Odyssey to return the treasure without compensation.
La Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes was sunk in October 1804 after a battle with English warships off the coast of Portugal. More than 200 Spanish sailors died when an explosion ripped the vessel apart.
The high number of victims means that the remains of the wreck "can be considered a marine cemetery," the Culture Ministry's director-general of Fine Arts and Cultural Goods, José Jiménez, said at the same press conference.
The sinking of the vessel "was an event in world history and the history of Spain," equivalent to Japan's surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Goold said.
James Goold make the remarks during a press conference at the Culture Ministry in Madrid, adding that throughout the legal battle for ownership of the wreck and its contents the actions of U.S. treasure hunting firm Odyssey Marine Exploration have been "morally and legally unacceptable."
He was referring to the Spanish government's allegations that Odyssey secretly removed coins and other artifacts from the vessel and then falsely claimed it was unaware of the identity of the ship.
Spain has contested Odyssey's claim to the wreck - which the company codenamed "Black Swan" - in a court case in Tampa, Florida.
"The mystery is over," Goold said.
After a thorough inspection of the artifacts last month by Spanish government representatives, all evidence points to the fact that the estimated $500 million in gold and silver coins that were discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic "coincide" with the haul carried by the La Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes and "belong to the Spanish navy," Goold said.
He said that "with our identification of the ship as a Spanish warship, the ship is protected by the principle of sovereign immunity, which applies to the ships of the navies of all nations, whether in international or sovereign waters."
The lawyer added that the site where Odyssey's "secret operations" were carried out is the same spot where La Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes was sunk.
The evidence gathered "put Odyssey directly at the scene of the crime," he said, adding that Spain expects the Tampa court to order Odyssey to return the treasure without compensation.
La Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes was sunk in October 1804 after a battle with English warships off the coast of Portugal. More than 200 Spanish sailors died when an explosion ripped the vessel apart.
The high number of victims means that the remains of the wreck "can be considered a marine cemetery," the Culture Ministry's director-general of Fine Arts and Cultural Goods, José Jiménez, said at the same press conference.
The sinking of the vessel "was an event in world history and the history of Spain," equivalent to Japan's surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Goold said.
