23.02.2017 - 13:00
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Actualització: 24.02.2017 - 01:19
Palma de Mallorca’s court refused cautionary imprisonment for Spain’s brother-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín. Former Duke of Mallorca will have to appear before the court on the 1st of each month as he waits for the Supreme Court final veredict. However, he will be able to do that in Switzerland, where he currently lives. Urdangarín was found guilty of perversion of justice, falsification and money laundering and considered the main responsible in the ‘Nóos case’ an operation which nvestigated how Urdangarín’s non-profit foundation Nóos Institute obtained no-bid contracts from regional governments, mainly in the Balearic Islands. His business partner Diego Torres, also sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for his role in the ‘Nóos case’ eluded prison as well. However, the court ordered to his passport’s withdrawal.
The prosecutor had requested precautionary imprisonment for both Urdangarin and his former business partner, Diego Torres, avoidable with bails of 200,000 and 100,000 euros respectively.
A panel of judges in Palma de Mallorca maintained provisional freedom for both after a two-hour debate following Thursday’s hearing.
For Urdangarin, the court required that it must be informed of residency moves or any travel plans outside of the European Union and imposed regular monthly appearances before a court in Geneva, where the former Duke and Duchess of Palma moved with their four children from Barcelona when the first allegations of wrongdoing emerged in 2012.
The judges ordered Torres to surrender his passport and required for him to appear before a Spanish court on the first day of every month. His original sentence of 8 1/2 years in jail on various corruption charges will also be reviewed by the Supreme Court in the coming months.
