Kingsley Cordova

Kingsley Cordova is the billionaire owner of the Cordova Group, a conglomerate that runs many small companies in the Sol system, including the Mars Tribune. On November 22, 3304, Cordova was arrested by the Federal Security Service on blackmail and corruption charges for his role in an illegal surveillance scheme involving PA912 robots, and Cordova Group was subjected to a government audit.

Timeline

22 NOV 3304

• The Mars Tribune has been closed and its owner arrested in the wake of the spy robot scandal. The announcement was made by Detective Captain Ramesh Thorne, who was recently reinstated to, and promoted by, the Federal Security Service: "Kingsley Cordova, editor Lana Sigrid and other employees of The Mars Tribune have been arrested for blackmail and corruption. The newsfeed has been permanently dissolved, and the Cordova Group conglomerate subjected to a government audit. I would like to thank the anonymous whistle-blower who exposed Cordova's scheme. She has now removed the surveillance program from all Achilles Corporation PA912 robots in exchange for immunity from prosecution." Chief Editor Lena Ravenhill wrote in The Federal Times: "The Mars Tribune abandoned its professional ethics in its hunt for salacious headlines, thereby undermining the role of honest journalism in our society. We are relieved to see justice done."

15 NOV 3304

• The Federal Times has revealed a connection between the Cordova Group and the spy robots scandal. Chief Editor Lena Ravenhill wrote: "Ramesh Thorne's recent appeal elicited a response from an anonymous whistle-blower – a robotics engineer employed by the Achilles Corporation who helped design the robots at the heart of these events. The engineer has attested that she was blackmailed by Kingsley Cordova, owner of the Mars Tribune, into installing surveillance programs on robots belonging to well-known people in the Sol system. The accumulated data was relayed to the Cordova Group, which published it in The Mars Tribune." A spokesperson for the Achilles Corporation said: "The engineer has provided us with a 'kill switch' that remotely deletes the spy program she designed. This coreware update has now been transmitted to all PA912 model robots. We can therefore assure our customers that there is no longer any risk of their private information being misused."

03 NOV 3304

• The Federal Security Service has abruptly terminated its investigation of The Mars Tribune regarding personal administration robots fitted with hidden surveillance programs. Although interviews with Tribune employees were underway, it has been alleged that a senior figure in the FSS ordered the task force to focus elsewhere. The Tribune's owner, billionaire Kingsley Cordova, stated: "I'm pleased that our innocence has been accepted, and I'm confident that the guilty parties will soon be found." An opinion piece in The Federal Times from chief editor Lena Ravenhill took an alternative view, however: "Last week, Cordova suggested the spy robots could share the many secrets they've gathered, and suddenly the FSS is ordered to leave The Mars Tribune alone. Does anyone really think this is coincidence? How many powerful people are frightened of what Cordova might reveal about them?"

25 OCT 3304

• As the Federal Security Service continues its investigation into The Mars Tribune for illegally obtaining the private information of Federal citizens, the newsfeed's parent company, the Cordova Group, has filed a formal complaint. The FSS has established that the administration robots of dozens of public figures and wealthy individuals have been fitted with hidden surveillance programs, and that these programs may be the source of several scandals exposed, exclusively, by The Mars Tribune. Kingsley Cordova, billionaire owner of The Mars Tribune, addressed the situation in an editorial: "These accusations are an insult to our journalistic integrity. Are we to be punished for uncovering liars and criminals? Our readers have always been grateful to us for shining a light into Sol’s murky corners. I suggest that the FSS treads more cautiously. These robots apparently have access to very sensitive data. Imagine if they publicly broadcasted everything they'd learned about their owners."

05 SEP 3304

• The famous actor Tomas Turai, husband of Jupiter Rochester, has been revealed to be having an extramarital affair with an Olympian athlete. An article in The Mars Tribune stated: "For the last three years, Tomas Turai has conducted a secret relationship with Reagan Lord, who has won several Olympic gold medals for the Altair system. Their romantic liaison took place without the knowledge of Turai's husband, Jupiter Rochester, or their two children." There has been no response from Jupiter Rochester. The Rochester family is currently in a media lockdown following the cancelled wedding of Ambassador Jordan Rochester and Princess Aisling Duval. But Tomas Turai and August Lord, husband of Reagan Lord, have both announced their intention to sue The Mars Tribune for defamation. The publication's owner, billionaire Kingsley Cordova, has confirmed that he will personally cover all legal costs in contesting both civil actions. Lana Sigrid, chief editor of The Mars Tribune, published this comment: "We have an obligation to publish the truth wherever we find it. The detailed evidence we've obtained about Tomas Turai's behaviour is beyond dispute. We employ the finest journalists in the Federation, and our soaring subscription figures prove we've earned the public's trust."

23 AUG 3304

• An exclusive exposé published by The Mars Tribune has revealed that a member of Federal Congress has close ties to a criminal organisation. The extensive feature began with this summary: "Congressman Morgan Unwin has been in debt to the notorious Red Family cartel for nearly a decade. Information uncovered by our reporters proves that he has used his influence to traffic enormous quantities of the cartel's drugs in order to keep his own addiction secret." Following publication of the feature, Mr Unwin was arrested by the Federal Security Service, and now faces expulsion from Congress. An investigation into Red Family's narcotics operation in Olympus Village is also underway. A spokesperson for Congress made this statement: "We are indebted to The Mars Tribune for uncovering a criminal conspiracy that might otherwise have continued undetected. This highlights the value of investigative journalism to the Federation." The Tribune's billionaire owner, Kingsley Cordova, has been invited to a special event by Congress to express its gratitude. As well as The Mars Tribune, his conglomerate Cordova Group runs many small companies in the Sol system.