Spain king's son-in-law distances royal family from fraud scandal
Urdangarin distances Spain's King Juan Carlos and family from charity fraud probe
Spanish King Juan Carlos' son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin moved yesterday to distance the royal family from a corruption scandal that has struck at the heart of the palace.
Urdangarin was questioned by a judge on the island of Majorca over allegations that he embezzled millions of euros of public money paid to Noos, a charity he managed.
"The royal family did not give its opinion on, advise or authorise the activities of Noos," Urdangarin told the judge yesterday, according to a copy of his declaration published by Spanish media.
Urdangarin's former business partner Diego Torres last weekend reportedly told the judge that the palace oversaw the activities of the company, from which Urdangarin quit as chairman in 2006.
When the palace learned of allegations against public companies that had worked with Noos, he added, it "recommended that I give up an activity that it considered inappropriate for my institutional status, and that is what I did".
Urdangarin and Torres are suspected of siphoning off money paid by regional governments to the Noos Institute to stage sports and tourism events.
Both men have denied any wrongdoing and have not been charged with any crime. The judge is investigating the case with a view to possibly putting them on trial.
