Former President of the Balearic Islands admits the crimes

USPA NEWS - The former President of the regional Government of the Balearic Islands, Jaume Matas, one of 17 accused in the trial of the 'case Noos' on corruption and embezzlement of public money, admitted Thursday his responsibility for the plot and was ready to restore damage caused.

This week, following the resumption of the trial, which is also accused sister of King Philip IV of Spain, the Infanta Cristina de Borbon, all defendants who have declared for the previous days they agreed on Jaume Matas as head of fraudulent contracts that were signed with the husband of the Infanta, the former international handball player Inaki Urdangarin. Thursday, Matas admitted responsibility for "crimes" committed to hire Urdangarin, but insisted that his work was limited to the initial order to hire him, and offered to reimburse the public coffers the money diverted.

"I assume my guilt," said Jaume Matas. "I gave the initial order that has resulted in these proceedings." He also blamed the former CEO of Sports, Jose Luis Ballester, which he defined as "the man of the Royal Family in the Government" regional of the Balearic Islands, for his friendship with Inaki Urdangarin, of having submitted to husband Infanta Cristina and convinced him to pay 1% commission -a total of 2.6 million Euros- to mediate in the organization of sporting events that never will be held in the archipelago.

"Urdangarin was the toll to be paid" by the conclusion of these events," Matas said, who is justified on the grounds that some of these events were similar to others held in Valencia and other regions of Spain, and nothing suspicious was said there was anything illegal in the contracts. He admitted that spending controls failed in the Balearic Government and told Jose Luis Ballester as the man who was in charge of managing relations between the Government and the Noos Institute and Inaki Urdangarin. Matas faces a penalty request eleven years in prison and is charged in other legal proceedings for alleged crimes committed during his time in front of the regional Government of the Balearic Islands.

Moreover, the Court trying the 'case Noos' decided on Thursday to advance a week the declaration of the Infanta Cristina, who eventually respond to questions from the prosecution on February 19. Cristina de Borbon is accused by the union Clean Hands if necessary cooperator in the crimes committed by her husband, so that a sentence of two years´ imprisonment is called for. Neither the prosecution nor the tax office, as aggrieved party, accused the sister of King Philip VI, in spite of which sits on the bench throughout the duration of the trial.