Royal secretary named as suspect in Nóos scandal

The judge investigating the Nóos corruption case, in which King Juan Carlos' son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin is embroiled, has named the private secretary to Princess Elena and Urdangarin's wife, Princess Cristina, as an official suspect.

So far in the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of public money through the not-for-profit Nóos Foundation managed by Urdangarin, Princess Cristina has not been implicated in her husband's business dealings in any way.

But after EL PAÍS reported that Urdangarin's former business partner Diego Torres, also an official suspect, had provided Judge José Castro with emails placing royal secretary Carlos García Revenga at the heart of Nóos activities, he issued a statement declaring his "innocence with respect to the activities being investigated in the mentioned case."

Revenga has been called to testify on February 23 at 1pm, immediately after Urdangarin, who is the duke of Palma.

Although he was officially Nóos treasurer, the missives show Revenga served as a counselor to Urdangarin in many ways. The emails reveal that the duke asked for advice on how to proceed with interviews. In one dated 2005, Urdangarin states that Revenga "has the final word."

In another, Revenga asks to be referred to as "a member of the Royal House."

Revenga also managed the money awarded to the princess through the Civil List: "Carlos, the transfers for Doña Cristina from her patrimony at [the royal residence] Zarzuela, should be deposited as of January in this other account."

In his statement, Revenga claims he did not enjoy such levels of access: "In spite of my position as treasurer of the Nóos Institute I never held an authorized signature on the accounts, nor had the power of decision on them or their accounting. And in no case, directly or indirectly, have I received any form of benefit or remuneration from them.

"It is true," the statement continues, "that through my post as advisor to the Infantas doña Elena and Cristina I have mixed, on occasion, duties pertaining to my post with others related to the private activities of the duke and duchess of Palma. The reason for this is that over the 20 years I have held the post a relationship has evolved that goes beyond the strictly personal and I cannot deny, on the basis of this circumstance, to perform such tasks that are asked of me. Never have I carried out any of these duties as a representative of the House of his Majesty the King, nor have any of them been contrary to any moral or ethical professional principle."