Spanish Royal Suspected of Too Much Theft

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Monarchy is all about family. One family is considered by the state to be superior to others. So the head of state can come only from that family. The people are allowed no say. And family members are granted extraordinary privileges, particularly that of picking the pockets of the people they are deemed superior to. It’s a clever trick.

So it’s embarrassing when the behaviour of a “royal” family member threatens this hoodwinking. That’s what has happened in with Spain where the “royal” family is pretending that the king’s son in law no longer exists. Most photos of Inaki Urdangarin and his biography have been removed from the family’s Web site. And the “royal”, who also goes by “Duke of Palma”, has been banned from “royal” functions.

The problem is that Mr. Urdangarin is being investigated over allegations that he used a charity to embezzle millions of euros. For although “royals” everywhere are allowed to rob the people, it has to be done the right way, with the approval of the state.

Prosecutors say that Mr. Urdangarin and his partner diverted millions of euros paid by regional governments for sports events to offshore accounts and private businesses. They are also investigating claims that public money was used to improve a mansion where the “Duke” lives with his wife.

The duke’s former business partner, who is also accused, has said that the duke did nothing without the approval of the royal palace. According to the New York Times emails handed over by Mr. Urdangarin show that although there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Spain’s hereditary ruler, “the king was monitoring” the affairs of his son in law at the time of the alleged fraud.

The allegations have, according to the Times, stoked “resentment over the privileges and special connections that have insulated Spain’s elite from the” pain that “austerity” is causing the Spanish people.

The New York Times claimed that Spanish intelligence service have been pressuring newspapers to “tone down” coverage of the scandal.


Posted

in

by

Tags: