King Juan Carlos’ son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín, the Duke of Palma, is in negotiations with prosecutors for a possible guilty plea amid a flurry of corruption allegations, El Pais and other Spanish news outlets are reporting.
In a recent deposition, Urdangarín put the blame on former associate Diego Torres. Both are accused of stealing public funds through their work with the Noos Institute, a non-profit organization.
But pointing the finger at Torres backfired, with the Duke’s former right hand man making allegations about the King’s involvement in helping with his son-in-law’s business affairs.
The King had once been seen as the one who warned Urdangarín to stay away from lucrative dealings.
Now, there is talk of Urdangarín working on a truce with Torres and negotiating with prosecutors to pay back millions of euros. While a guilty plea may hurt the monarchy, it may be less painful that a trial or jail sentence.
The corruption scandal, plus the King’s hunting trip to Botswana, has shocked people around the world who thought of the Spanish monarchy as a model for other countries with royal families.
Don Juan Carlos’ popularity, credibility and work in creating a democratic Spain gave him wide latitude to travel and get involved with politics and business. It appears that the Spanish head of state will be on a much tighter leash from now on.
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