Royal son-in-law formally accused of corruption

Iñaki Urdangarín, Duke of Palma

The King's son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín, is embroiled in a corruption case involving public finds (See Royal household allegedly involved in corruption scandal). New revelations in the case say that he negotiated contracts with members of the Balearic Popular Party (PP) at Marivent Palace, the royal family's holiday home in Mallorca. The Duke of Palma -his official title- is married to Infanta (Princess) Cristina, King Juan Carlos's youngest daughter: he is formally accused of misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement and administrative fraud through tourist-sports conventions organized by his supposedly non-profit Nóos Institute and is scheduled to appear in court on February 25th. The alleged misconduct was discovered when investigators looking into the Palma Arena case that involved a sports complex that ran over budget by some €65 million. The media are now reporting that the King urged his son-in-law to straighten things out as long ago as last March, but Urdangarín carried on operating via the foundation until after that, even though he was no longer part of its organization. Monies were allegedly 'diverted' to accounts in Belize and London, among other places, by the Duke and his business partner Diego Torres, to the tune of €5.2 million.

Belgian Mayoress in Spanish sex scandal

NAVARRA/Olite  (Agencies) Ilse Uyttersprot, the Mayor of Aalst, Belgium, a member of the European People's party and a Catholic, has been filmed having sex in public on top of a castle tower in Spain. The video of Ilse Uyttersprot and her former partner was taken four years ago by a tourist visiting Olite Royal Palace but has only emerged online in recent days, unleashing uproar in Belgian media. The footage reportedly shows Ms Uyttersprot fornicating with her ex-boyfriend, a surgeon. Ms Uyttersprot took to her Twitter account on August 24 to admit the woman in the video was her. "So-called gate tower was private and with fiance. 4 years ago. Not politically relevant. Thanks for the tweets full of support," she wrote in Dutch, which has been translated into English. Ms Uyttersprot is reportedly trying to have the video removed from the internet - and has been successful as it has been removed from YouTube.