Son-in-law asked King to lean on Bernie Ecclestone and others

Iñaki Urdangarín,
Duke of Palma

MADRID According to court records, Iñaki Urdangarín, the Duke of Palma and royal son-in-law in big trouble about his 'non-profit' Nóos Institute, allegedly asked King Juan Carlos for help in bringing together 'people of influence' for the so-called Valencia Summit, which the Institute was supposedly organizing for October 2004. Among the people the king was being asked to 'lean on' were the likes of Bernie Ecclestone (Formula 1 boss), Sepp Blatter (FIFA president), Jacques Rogge (in charge of the International Olympic Committe at the time) and Ernesto Bertarelli (Swiss financier of large swathes of the Americas Cup - the king is a sailing buff) and Bernard Arnault (LVMH luxury goods company owner).>>>

Court papers presented by Urdangarín's one-time business partner, Diego Torres, show that that the royal son-in-law e-mailed the king, saying that these 'influential people' would attend if His Highness would persuade them to do so.

Louis Vuitton, of Arnault's stable of goods, became a sponsor of the Summit, with a contribution of €87,000, say the Nóos case prosecutor's records.

Diego Torres, on the other hand, is also under investigation in the case, and keeps coming up with sheaves of e-mails allegedly sent or received by Urdangarín, most of which are aimed at proving that the Royal Household had knowledge of Urdangaríns 'non-profit' activities. The Duke, who is married to Infanta (Princess) Cristina, has stated in the Balearic Islands' Court that no member of the Royal Family had any involvement in his dealings.

In the meantime local authorities in Palma de Mallorca have asked that the Duke, whose title is that of the city and province, do not use his title any longer.

Urdangarín's former business partner, Diego Torrres has also recently admitted having an account in Luxembourg that at the moment contains some €160,000, but is being investigated to find out if it ever contained more than that.

The saga and mystery continue.