Spain have won a major victory in its long court battle with a Florida-based company rescue on the high seas on the rights of an estimated $ 500 million in silver and gold, officials said Wednesday.
The tax was recovered in 2007 from 19 century ship sank off the Spanish coast.
The 11 U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta Tuesday hijacked the second movement of the American company, Odyssey Marine Exploration, and Spanish officials said they now expect parts - nearly 600,000 of them - to arrive in Spain the near future.
"With the decision of the Court of Appeal, the process begins all the parts to restore illegally" the ship sank, said the Ministry of Culture of Spain in a statement.
Odyssey, which can appeal to the Supreme Court U. S., said in a statement, "At the moment, no final order in the case, and it would be premature to comment at this time."
The battle royal began after the Odyssey announced in 2007 had found the sunken treasure. He quickly claimed the pieces, put them in boxes, and said he took them to a quiet, well-guarded place in the United States.
Spain soon brought in federal court in Tampa, Florida, also claims the treasure.
Spain supports $ 500 million sunken treasure in Spain says its navy ship Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes carrying coins. Mercedes, a frigate of 34 guns, left Peru in 1804 and crossed the Atlantic in a sailing day Spain, where the British ships attack the Spanish fleet.
In the ensuing battle of Cape St. Mary, south of Portugal, the Mercedes exploded after being hit in his magazine of power, depending on the request of the Spanish government of Florida law.
The federal court in Tampa in 2009 ruled in favor of the request to Spain to tax, but Odyssey uses the federal appeals court in Atlanta, who ruled in September last year to uphold the decision the lower court.
At the end of this 53-page decision, written three appellate judges of the panel: "For the foregoing reasons, the district court did not err when it ordered the Odyssey to release it back" elements Guard of Spain after a copy of the order seen by ...
Since then, Odyssey filed various motions to the appellate court to reverse or delay the decision, said James Goold, a lawyer from Washington, DC, representing Spain in the case.
But Tuesday, the appeals court rejected a motion odyssey, Deputy Registrar of the court, Amy Berg Nere, told ... by phone from Atlanta.
Goold, who spoke to ... by phone from Washington, said it seems that the Odyssey is only possible remedy would now be on the Supreme Court U. S.. This Court agrees to hear only a small proportion of cases presented to it.
The appeal court is expected to refer the matter in the coming days left to the federal court in Tampa, which establish and oversee procedures to send the parts to Spain, Goold said.
Spain considers that the majority of the nearly 600,000 documents are currently in Florida, Goold said.
Spanish Culture Minister Jose Ignaico Wert, told ... Wednesday in Madrid that the case was never really about money.
"We will not use this money for purposes other than the art exhibition, but it is something that enriches our physical capital, artistic, and it must be appreciated as such," Wert said in an interview.
He said the pieces will be exhibited in museums in Spain.
Peru has also followed this case. Silver and gold from Latin America, where Peru was a Spanish colony.
"Formally, they said nothing, but we are very open to considering the possibility of distributing a portion of the tax between museums in Latin America," Wert said.
The fee includes a treasure of great parts, which includes legendary "Pieces of Eight," some minted in 1803 in Lima, Peru, Spanish officials said at a news conference in 2008.
The tax has already crossed the Atlantic twice - by boat in 1804 and subsequently flown the other way a few years ago. Spanish officials hope it could eventually happen for the first time on the Spanish mainland.
