guardian.co.uk,
Giles Tremlett in Madrid, Saturday 25 February 2012
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| Iñaki Urdangarín and Princess Cristina in 2004. Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty Images |
King Juan
Carlos of Spain experienced the public humiliation of seeing his son-in-law
jeered at by egg-throwing protesters, as he entered a courthouse to be
questioned on allegations of sleaze and tax fraud on Saturday.
An angry
crowd of demonstrators greeted Iñaki Urdangarín, the disgraced former golden
boy of an otherwise popular royal family, as he walked into the courthouse in
Palma, Majorca. At a hearing that was set to continue today, Urdangarín was
questioned by prosecutors, investigating magistrate José Castro and some of the
dozens of lawyers involved in one of Spain's longest running corruption
scandals.
"I
appear today to demonstrate my innocence and my honour," said the former
Olympic handball player, who also holds the title of Duke of Palma. "I
have discharged my duties and taken decisions properly and transparently."
That is not
what the constant flow of leaks from the investigation into the king's
son-in-law's business dealings indicates. These point to a remarkable and rapid
accumulation of millions of euros via non-profit organisations and charities,
with funds sent to tax havens such as Belize.
Those
allegations have enraged many Spaniards, including a woman who hurled two eggs
at Urdangarín's car. "It felt good," she told El País newspaper.
"Juan Carlos, if you knew, why did you keep quiet?" read one sign
held up by protesters.
Any hopes
the Spanish royal family might have had that Urdangarín's dirty laundry could
be washed in private at the hearing behind closed doors were immediately dashed
as some of those present appeared to be messaging journalists about what was
happening.
Among the
questions Urdangarín was asked was whether the king had told him to stand down
as chairman of a non-profit foundation which, according to leaks from the
police investigation, was used to channel money into private bank accounts. He
reportedly confirmed that the king had made the request in 2006, soon after
opposition politicians on the Balearic Islands queried a €1.2m (£1m) payment.
The
corruption investigation is centred on the regional governments of the Balearic
Islands and Valencia, both run by prime minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative
People's party, who allegedly used the foundation to pay Udangarín bloated fees
for organising and appearing at sports-related events.
The sight
of the king's son-in-law apparently cashing in on his royal connections has
been shocking enough for Spaniards, but the idea that he also allegedly
defrauded the exchequer and illegally pocketed public funds has dealt an even
greater blow to the monarchy as ordinary Spaniards struggle with 23% unemployment,
harsh austerity measures and the prospect of falling back into recession.
Juan Carlos
has made his anger clear. In an obvious reference to the case, the king said in
his traditional Christmas speech that "all are equal before the law".
He said: "When untoward conduct arises which is not in keeping with the
law and ethics, society naturally reacts. Fortunately we live by the rule of
law and any unworthy act must be judged and penalised."
Urdangarín
was given the title of Duke of Palma after marrying Juan Carlos's daughter
Princess Cristina. The king sidelined him from official events shortly before
he was named as a formal suspect at the end of 2011. The king then disclosed
limited details of his family's income in an attempt to show greater transparency.
Urdangarín
moved with his wife and four children in 2009 to Washington, DC, where he
serves on the board of a subsidiary of the Spanish telecoms group Telefónica.
The company refused to comment on rumours that it hired him as a favour to the
king and in order to get him out of Spain. Prosecution lawyers said they would
be asking the judge to take his passport away this weekend, preventing him from
returning to the United States.
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