New Evidence Overturns Verdict, Sentence in Zauzet Controversy

Dateline: Duchy of Coldhorn, Naarod Province; 21 Mdnothiel's Month: Naarodian Authorities today released over seventy-two pages of testimony and additional evidence to the Varangian Provincial Justice Division by order of the Autarch. This material was collected during the initial inquiry into the involvement of Archduke Bartimus Rakkir in the attacks in Coldhorn and Adevarul Province late last year; but this material was allegedly suppressed from the trial and withheld from the defense on the direct orders of King Carmichael of Naarod due to his apparent firsthand involvement in the planning and execution of the false flag attacks.
Much of the evidence appears to connect Duchess Philippa and King Carmichael in the development of a false flag attack as an extension of an illicit love affair that had existed for years under King Ossus, Carmichael's father; the thought appears to have been that if revealed to the rest of the Council of Nobles, Philippa would be stripped of her administrative control and pressed to marry Carmichael rather than maintain her lands as separate entities according to the council charter. The attack would be blamed on Rakkir, resulting in his and Adevarul lands being subdivided up alongside Coldhorn and the entire middle swath of the Kingdom would be reorganized into Kings' Lands, following the rules established in the Charter for martial powers against external or internal attacks.
When confronted with this evidence, Carmichael allegedly confessed, and Philippa revealed she was six months pregnant with the illicit child of King Carmichael as well. This child would have been conceived while lesser Coldhorn and Port Adevarul were literally still smoking from the siege fires.
The Autarch has ordered an immediate investigation into the apparent cover-up, and has suspended the jurisdiction of Naarodian royal courts, as well as their now- suspect decision in favor of the Crown and Coldhorn, in accordance with Imperial law. All of the Naarodian Dukes and Duchies will submit to a complete imperial Audit, after which time they may be re-certified or dissolved by the Autarch, with replacement to be named by him. This includes Archduke Rakkir despite the doubt that this has cast on the earlier ruling. The Varangians explain, while the King and Philippa may be guilty, that in itself is no proof that Duke Rakkir is innocent. Perhaps all three of them were in league to subvert the flow of tax dollars from the kingdom to the Imperial coffers, considered an act of treason at best, or an act of war.
All further investigation will now be routed through Praetorian, Imperial-level investigative teams, and all previous work is open to re-examination, and new findings are expected.
Duke Bartimus Rakkir, who has consistently maintained his innocence and has been living in exile in Dregath for the time being, gave a brief comment to the Archivists Guild: "I am gratified to find that the Autarch did not accept the decision of the Naarodian investigation as the final word on the matter, considering the obvious bias such a court must labor under even if they were innocent of any crime. I trust that justice will be served and that the people of Naarod, and the Empire, continue to support the Autarch and cooperate with every request of his investigation. I look forward to the audit of my finances, the disposition of my military forces and the authenticity of my records, as they are already in order, being kept by one of the most talented bookkeepers in all the Empire."