Iñaki, Cristina and the NOOS Corruption Investigation Part 2 (2015 - 2018)

[An Ard Ri]

More on this latest story from Bekia

Manos Limpias dice que el Rey Juan Carlos les ofreció 2 millones para salvar a la Infanta Cristina del juicio - Bekia

https://translate.google.ie/translat...-text=&act=url

[WreathOfLaurels]

For those who may have missed what I meant by the phrase "who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" I was referring to Henry II of england's phrase which was the accidental/intentional in the heat of the moment trigger to have St Thomas a Beckett murdered - with regards to JC what i meant was that he may well have said in exasperation something to the effect of "i just wish this would all go away!" And the marquis in question may well have taken things into his own hands too literally. Sorry for the confusion.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by carlota

some interesting and rather shocking news emerged. apparently juan carlos, via his trusted friend Iñigo Alfonso Cotoner y Martos, marquess of Mondéjar (who is this man you see behind juan carlos during his proclamation)

Carlotta the man in that photo was Don Nicolás Cotoner, Marqués de Mondéjar, Marqués de Ariany,Count de Tendilla who died in 1996,he also served as head of the House of His Majesty the King from 1975 to 1990.

Its his son Don Íñigo Alfonso Cotoner ,the current marqués de Mondejar that is being named in the latest news.

[Duc_et_Pair]

We have to be careful to draw quick conclusions. The organisation Manos Limpias ("Clean Hands") is in serious trouble for blackmailing: "When you pay us xxx million, we will drop our plans to sue you".

It is very well possible that it was Manos Limpias itself trying to blackmail the King but are now spinning it into media with a twist that it was the King who offered money, all this to re-direct the attention away from their own criminal actions. For so far the serious Spanish media seem cautious indeed because it is not clear how reliable the claim is.

[GracieGiraffe]

I wish my Spanish was good enough for me to actually listen to the recording, which is on the website of el mundo if anyone cares to listen. Can one of our Spanish posters give an accurate account?

My first thought was, 2 million euros is too low a figure for it to be plausible. However, el mundo is not The Daily Mail or The New York Post. It also has uncovered many a scandal, to its credit.

Felipe must be ready to explode.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Osipi

I think I would have to actually see a photo of Juan Carlos in a trench coat pulled up around his shoulders and wearing sunglasses skulking in a dark alleyway with a brown paper bag of money to believe this story.

I may not care for the man personally because of his own actions but I do think he has enough intelligence to know that doing something like trying to bribe someone to drop the charges just wouldn't fly.

Juan Carlos was actually a very important figure in Spanish and, more broadly, European history. It is a shame that he is now being associated with bribery or corruption. Having said that, the story seems to lack credibility and, more importantly, is not getting much traction inside Spain itself. At least, I didn't hear it mentioned not even once on the newscast from TVE International, which I get at home.

[Duc_et_Pair]

I haven't seen it at España Directo and Telediario (TVE Internacional). Seems not the biggest news indeed.

[Winnie]

I have to admit that nothing that get reported in this world shocks me anymore. If it happened, it happened. If proven it didn't, just another media scum making trouble. Can't say I am an admirer of the old king JC and his lack of morals and breaking of church's commandments and I do think he has the brass to try something this underhanded, but I also think that he no longer holds the power he once had to accomplish without some people wanting to get back at him for what ever reason. He might be an old self-centered geezer now who hasn't realized the world no longer thinks he is the handsome Don Juan of years ago and will look the other way to his faults, but I believe he still is not stupid or mentally failing to try to bribe someone for such a small amount in this very important case to the royal family. That is the main reason I have a problem believing this newest scandal.

I feel so very sorry for King Felipe who I believe has been trying to be above the rail. Inaki and Cristina seem to have caused, either directly or indirectly, quite a bit of trouble. Their children are the ones in my prayers.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Royals have been open to do favours. They have done that for centuries and centuries. Only now the monarchies have become de-political, it looks like royals have to be exemplaric model citizens, but that is nowhere in their job description. Once in a debate in the Dutch Parliament a fraction leader remarked: "We are discussing the royal family, not the Holy Family..."

[WreathOfLaurels]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

Royals have been open to do favours. They have done that for centuries and centuries. Only now the monarchies have become de-political, it looks like royals have to be exemplaric model citizens, but that is nowhere in their job description. Once in a debate in the Dutch Parliament a fraction leader remarked: "We are discussing the royal family, not the Holy Family..."

It is not commendable that JC is condoning such behavior from his friends when he for all practical purposes hung Christina out to dry to save his own skin and as a distraction, which if this is the case is nothing better than hypocracy and cowardice on the ex-king's part.* What I want to know is: was he always this lacking in moral fiber, and thus have we all been duped by a slick propaganda campaign? Or has years of adulation and press deference gone to his head and undermined his judgement?

*When you consider that JC also threw his father under a bus, albeit with some more justifaction, this would be completely keeping in character.

[Duc_et_Pair]

All men and women on positions with influence are open for favours. If someone can help a friend to obtain a job, or a sister to get earlier treatment, or help a cousin to upgrade a booking, whatever. All "wrong" but it all happens. Every day. All over the world.

[Blog Real]

The verdict for Infanta Cristina's (King Felipe of Spain's sister) fraud case will be announced today.

[Marengo]

Until what time are they working at the tribunals in Spain? It is after office hours and I didn't see anything yet.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by Blog Real

The verdict for Infanta Cristina's (King Felipe of Spain's sister) fraud case will be announced today.

Where is this information from?

This article is 4 days old and it says that the verdict will possibly come at the end of the year but the balearic court will try to avoid any publication together with the proclamation of a new government.
¿Dónde estaban Iñaki Urdangarin y la Infanta Cristina en la Hispanidad? | loc | EL MUNDO

[Blog Real]

Probably the info I saw was wrong. I'm sorry.

[Rudolph]

^^^ I read the same thing on Twitter. Not sure the source.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Blog Real

Probably the info I saw was wrong. I'm sorry.

Maybe in future post a link or a source just to be on the safe side.

[Rudolph]

Different royal blogs were reporting it. Nothing official.

Gert's Royals ‏@Gertsroyals 7h7 hours ago
The verdict is expected to be announced in the next few hours.

Gert's Royals ‏@Gertsroyals 3h3 hours ago
From what I'm reading Infanta Cristina's (King Felipe's sister) tax fraud case verdict is being delayed due to Spain's election drama.

https://twitter.com/Gertsroyals/stat...84634901491712

[camelot23ca]

So Cristina was put on trial despite both the prosecutor and the tax office saying they had no evidence that she committed a crime, and if I remember correctly, part of the judge's reasoning was that it was important to show that everyone is treated equally before the law.

And yet, it seems the judicial system has no problem arranging the timing of various aspects of her case to suit the government and the king's schedule.

Spanish justice may indeed be equal for all, I wouldn't know, but the more I read about this particular situation the more it seems like Cristina has been thrown under the bus by various political factions and, sadly, even by members of her own family.

[lula]

Spanish media has not published news about the possibility that the verdict was to be made public today... it was a mistake or someone invention. Then they have tried to correct misinformation, with another error.

What the news (of a section of gossip) says, is that the verdict is expected at the end of the year. The news makes an absurd speculation that the verdict may not match the king's speech on Christmas Eve ... absurd because being Saturday and Christmas Eve the court does not work that day.