Five suspects in Urdangarin case testify for 13 hours

The first five defendants to be called before the investigating judge leading the inquiry into the alleged scheme to divert public funds at Iñaki Urdangarin’s Nóos Institute finished testifying shortly after midnight on Saturday.

The five, all former employees at the non-profit institute run by King Juan Carlos’s son-in-law who have been targeted as suspects in the case, remained in court for more than 13 hours.

Urdangarin’s former Nóos partner Diego Torres, who has reportedly implicated the royal-son-in-law in the diversion of some of the estimated 5.3 million euros in funds that the institute received from the Balearic Islands and Valencia governments, was the first to be called to testify.

His wife, Ana María Tejeiro, who was a partner in some of the affiliate companies under investigation, and her brothers, Miguel and Marco Antonio, who served as financial advisor and accountant, respectively, were also subpoenaed on Saturday.

After he was asked, Miguel Tejeiro reportedly told Palma de Mallorca Judge José Castro that Princess Cristina — Urdangarin’s wife — didn’t participate in any of the decision-making processes at Nóos even though she served as a member of the board.

However, Miguel Tejeiro, who also worked as an accountant for several of Urdangarin’s private business, as well as serving as secretary of the Nóos board, told the judge that Urdangarin and Torres, with the help of another defendant, lawyer Salvador Trinxet, created a ghost company in the Central American country of Belize in order to avoid paying higher taxes.

Urdangarin, who is scheduled to testify on February 25, has asked the judge through his lawyer not to allow his testimony to be videotaped by the court because he fears it will be leaked to the press. Judge Castro has gone even further than that, ordering lawyers and prosecutors in the case to leave their iPads and cellphones outside the courtroom from now on. Apologizing for the restrictions, Judge Castro reminded those involved in the case that his court was being investigated by the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) after the lawyer for the former Balearic Islands regional premier Jaume Matas, who has been indicted in a wider investigation, complained about leaks to the press about his client’s case.

A special police surveillance team from Madrid traveled to Palma de Mallorca to scan the courtroom to determine if there were any microphones or cameras hidden there.

Urdangarin is facing possible charges of diverting public money from the Nóos Institute to his private businesses, including real estate firm Aizoon, in which his wife, the princess, was co-owner. Nóos received some 5.3 million euros from the two regional governments to organize a series of sports and tourism conventions.

Cristina, the king’s youngest daughter, has not been targeted in the case, even though Castro asked Miguel Tejeiro on Saturday what role, if any, she played at the Nóos Institute.

The former Nóos board secretary denied he knew anything about false billing, which tax investigators claim was used to justify how the public money was spent. He explained he was in charge of analyzing the profit-loss statements and the “overall” accounts but did not get involved in the day-to-day billings.

His sister, Ana María, and her husband Torres appeared before the judge but refused to answer any questions from anti-corruption prosecutors Juan Carrau and Pedro Horrach.

The other brother, Marco Tejeiro, who also worked as an accountant, testified about his knowledge of the finances in Urdangarin’s private businesses, including those of Aizoon. When the police conducted a series of raids at different homes and offices, they found details written by Tejeiro about the supposed workings of an international network of offshore companies Urdangarin and Torres reportedly set up to avoid paying taxes.

Marco Tejeiro told the judge that no regional government or public sector body asked the Nóos Institute to justify its spending. The Valencia government did ask Nóos for an explanation for its failure in its bid to win the European Games but it never complied, he said. Marco Tejeiro’s testimony lasted well into the evening. The last witness to be called was Salvador Trinxet, the lawyer who specializes in accounting and finances. He was scheduled to begin testifying at 4.30pm but didn’t go before the judge until after 9pm.