A HUGE 380 million hoard of ‘stolen’ treasure is finally to be returned to Spain.
It comes after a US Federal Court judge rejected the Florida-based company Odyssey’s petition that Spain should pay 300,000 euros for storing the huge haul of gold and silver coins recovered from a sunken Spanish galleon.
The judge also ordered Odyssey to supply a complete inventory, all their records, and which chemicals it has exposed the treasure to.
The company, which has fought for years to keep the treasure, described the court’s decision as ‘a sad day for Spanish inheritance’.
“In the future nobody will have any incentive to inform about treasure they find. It will be hidden away, or worse, sold on Ebay,” a spokesman said.
A Spanish Embassy spokesman insisted the result was ‘of great satisfaction for Spain and good news for her cultural heritage’.
