spain
The judge has called for documents that could prove that the Infanta Cristina was well aware of her husband's dealings
19.03.13 - 11:59 -
Diego Torres (r) leaves the court with his wife Ana María Tejeiro and lawyer Manuel González Peeters. :: EFE
Judge José Castro has stepped up the pace in his quest to get to the bottom of the Nóos case, in which the king’s son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin is accused of using non-profit foundations to embezzle funds.
Over just four days this week the judge is due to interrogate 37 people, 35 as witnesses and two as accused parties. They include the Royal Household's legal advisor, José Manuel Romero, Count of Fontao, and PP member of parliament, Esteban González Pons.
Meanwhile he has asked for all the minutes from official meetings of the Nóos Institute in search of a clue that might give him reason to interrogate the Infanta Cristina as a witness, if not as an accused.
While the anti-corruption public prosecution department has been reluctant to delve too far into issues that could prove incriminating for the Infanta, the judge has taken the initiative, urged on by Manos Limpias (a pseudo-union that specialises in filing lawsuits ‘on behalf of the people’).
As a member of the board, Cristina would have participated in the Nóos Institute’s annual general meetings, and the minutes could reveal to what extent she was aware of, or involved in, the decisions made. The documents should also reveal whether Cristina signed the annual accounts with which Nóos gained six million euros from the Valencia and Balearic governments.
According to Urdangarin’s former partner Diego Torres, Cristina and the royal secretary García Revenga had the same decision-making powers as the rest of the board members.
Urdangarin, however, has denied this, stating that the couple’s presence on the board was purely symbolic.
The Palma de Mallorca judge has also called for documents concerning Aizóon, the real estate firm co-owned by the Infanta and her husband, through which Urdangarin is accused of channelling 900,000 euros from Nóos.
More emails
Diego Torres has meanwhile handed over more incriminating emails to the court. While all of his previous contributions to the investigation affected the royal family, the most recent correspondence appears to involve politicians, revealing Urdangarin’s contacts with members of both the PP and PSOE.
Just a week before PP member of parliament Esteban González Pons is due to be questioned by the judge, Diego Torres released a copy of a contract signed by himself and the politician concerning one of the business deals under suspicion. The contract was for a study regarding the possibility of holding ‘European Games’ that never happened. Nóos made 382,203 euros out of this contract for doing nothing.
The new emails also mention the former socialist secretary of state for Sport, Jaime Lissavetzky, as well as other politicians already involved such as Rita Barbará, Francisco Camps, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and Jaume Matas.
