Princess Cristina of Spain has been cleared in a tax fraud trial.
The 51-year-old is the older sister of King Felipe and sixth in line to Spain’s throne.
Her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, was given a 6-year-and-three-month jail term by the court in Majorca.
Inaki Urdangarin, 49, was accused of using his royal connections to generate business income used for private spending.
The case began in 2010 and became symbolic of perceived corruption among Spain’s elites, including the royals.
There were 16 other defendants in the case, including former government minister Jaume Matas, who was sentenced to three years and eight months.
Inaki Urdangarin’s former business partner, Diego Torres, was given 8 years and six months. Nine defendants in all were acquitted.
Princess Cristina, who now lives in Switzerland, was the first member of Spain’s royal family to go on trial since the monarchy’s restoration in 1975.
In 2015, King Felipe VI stripped her and her husband of their titles as Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.
Although Princess Cristina was absolved, she will still have to pay a fine of €265,000 ($282,000) as she has civil responsibility for benefiting, albeit unknowingly, from illegal gains.
Princess Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin were not in court for the verdict, which is subject to appeal. Both had denied wrongdoing.
The princess had been accused of being an accessory to tax fraud.
Public prosecutors had declined to press charges against Princess Cristina but the three judges agreed to continue with the prosecution using evidence filed by the anti-corruption group Manos Limpias, meaning “Clean Hands”.
Last March, Princess Cristina told the court that her husband was in charge of family finances, saying: “I didn’t get involved in that.”
Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball medalist, had faced a slew of more serious charges.
He was accused of using the non-profit Noos Institute sports foundation he ran as a vehicle to win falsely inflated contracts from regional government bodies, before channeling the money to personal accounts via tax havens.
Noos is alleged to have received more than €6 million ($6.5 million) of public money, most of it from the Balearic Islands and Valencia regional governments.
One of the companies said to have received money, real estate firm Aizoon, was jointly owned by Princess Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin.
Princess Cristina of Spain has testified for the first time at her trial for alleged tax fraud, answering only the questions posed by her own lawyer.
The 50-year-old sister of King Felipe told the court in Mallorca that she had never asked her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, how he ran a property company they jointly owned.
Inaki Urdangarin is accused of using his royal connections to generate business income they used for private spending.
Both deny any wrongdoing. Fifteen other defendants are also on trial.
Princess Cristina could face a maximum of eight years in jail if found guilty.
She denies knowledge of the alleged embezzlement scam that also involves her husband and 16 other defendants.
Asked by her lawyer during the 20-minute appearance why she never talked with her husband about what the company did, Infanta Cristina said they “weren’t issues that interested me”.
“At that time my children were very small and we were very busy. He was in charge of the family expenses. I didn’t get involved in that,” she added.
The case was launched in 2010 and has become highly symbolic of perceived corruption among Spain’s elites, including the royal family.
In 2015, King Felipe stripped his sister and her husband Inaki Urdangarin of their titles, the Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.
Princess Cristina now lives in Switzerland, but remains the sixth in line to the Spanish throne and is the first member of the royal family to go on trial.
Her lawyers argued that as public prosecutors had refused to press charges against her, the counts should be dismissed.
However, the three judges agreed to continue with the prosecution using the evidence filed by the anti-corruption group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands).
The charges relate to the real estate company Aizoon that Princess Cristina owned with Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball medalist.
Princess Cristina is accused of making personal use of Aizoon funds for paying for clothes and dance lessons for the couple’s children, as well as work on the couple’s Barcelona mansion, which reduced the company’s taxable profits.
Inaki Urdangarin is alleged to have used the non-profit Noos Institute sports foundation he ran as a vehicle to win falsely inflated contracts from regional government bodies, before channeling the money to personal accounts via tax havens.
Noos is alleged to have received more than €6m ($6.5 million) of public money, most of it from the Balearic Islands and Valencia regional governments.
Princess Cristina of Spain has lost an appeal to have the two charges she faces of tax evasion dropped.
A court in Palma ruled that Princess Cristina must stand trial in a case involving her husband’s business dealings.
If found guilty, the sister of King Felipe could face a maximum of eight years in jail.
Princess Cristina has denied knowledge of the alleged embezzlement scam that also involves her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, and 16 other defendants. They all deny the charges.
The case was launched in 2010 and has become highly symbolic of perceived corruption among Spain’s elites, including the royal family.
In 2015, King Felipe stripped his sister and Inaki Urdangarin of their titles, the Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.
Princess Cristina now lives in Switzerland, but remains the sixth in line to the Spanish throne and is the first member of the royal family to go on trial.
The princess’s lawyers argued that as public prosecutors had refused to press charges against her, the counts should be dismissed.
The three judges agreed to continue with the prosecution using the evidence filed by the anti-corruption group, Manos Limpias, meaning “Clean Hands”.
The charges relate to the real estate company Aizoon that she owned with her husband, a former Olympic handball medalist.
Princess Cristina is accused of making personal use of Aizoon funds for paying for clothes and dance lessons for the couple’s children as well as work on the couple’s Barcelona mansion, which reduced the company’s taxable profits.
Inaki Urdangarin is alleged to have used the non-profit Noos Institute sports foundation he ran as a vehicle to win falsely inflated contracts from regional government bodies, before channeling the money to personal accounts via tax havens.
Noos is alleged to have received more than €6 million ($6.5 million) of public money, most of it from the Balearic Islands and Valencia regional governments.
If found guilty, Inaki Urdangarin could face 19 years and six months in jail.
Hearings into the case will resume next month in Palma.
Princess Cristina of Spain has become the first member of the country’s royal family to be put on trial.
The princess is charged with being an accomplice in an alleged embezzlement scam involving her husband Inaki Urdangarin and 16 other defendants, who all deny the charges.
Infanta Cristina, 50, faces eight years in jail if found guilty by a three-member panel of judges.
The trial in Palma, Majorca, is seen as an embarrassment for the royal family.
Princess Cristina arrived at the court in Palma on January 11 with Inaki Urdangarin, who is accused of embezzlement and money laundering.
They made no statement to reporters. A small group of anti-monarchists protested outside.
As the judges read out the charges, the princess sat at the back of a makeshift courtroom at the public administration school in Palma. Inaki Urdangarin sat in the same row but court rules prevented them from sitting together.
Three rows of six defendants sitting in court on blue chairs, facing the panel of judges.
Photo AP
In the third row, at one end, sits Princess Cristina, sixth in line to the Spanish throne.
It’s something many people in Spain thought they would never see – the powerful being held to account.
Princess Cristina’s lawyers will try to get charges against her dismissed. In a country where corruption has become a huge political issue, this is a big moment.
Inaki Urdangarin’s supposedly non-profit Noos Institute sports foundation was allegedly used as a vehicle to win falsely inflated contracts from regional government bodies, before channeling the money to personal accounts via tax havens.
Noos is alleged to have received more than €6 million ($6.5 million) of public money, most of it from the Balearic Islands and Valencia regional governments.
If found guilty, Inaki Urdangarin could face 19 years and six months in jail.
Princess Cristina was a board member at the foundation and, with Inaki Urdangarin, co-owned a real estate company called Aizoon, which prosecutors say was used to launder embezzled funds.
One of the allegations against Princess Cristina is that she made personal use of Aizoon funds for paying for clothes and dance lessons for the couple’s children as well as work on the couple’s Barcelona mansion.
The case was launched in 2010 by a judge investigating corruption among Balearic Islands officials. It has become highly symbolic of perceived corruption among Spain’s elites, including the royal family.
Princess Cristina of Spain is to face a tax fraud trial over alleged links to her husband’s business dealings.
It is the first time for modern Spain to put a royal in the dock to face trial.
Infanta Cristina’s husband, Inaki Urdangarin, is accused of embezzling millions in public funds with a former business partner.
Princess Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin deny wrongdoing.
Prosecutors in Palma, Majorca, say Inaki Urdangarin’s sports foundation misused public money.
It is alleged that €5.6 million ($7.5 million) of public money went missing from the Noos Institute, a charitable sports foundation, when Inaki Urdangarin was in charge of it.
Princess Cristina, 49, is under suspicion over €2.6 million of that money. She is the sister of King Felipe VI, and youngest daughter of the former king, Juan Carlos.
The allegations relate to business affairs between 2007 and 2008.
Inaki Urdangarin and his then business partner, Diego Torres, allegedly used the Noos Institute to organize events for the regional governments of Valencia and the Balearic Islands at hugely inflated prices.
Princess Cristina of Spain, King Felipe VI’s sister, could face trial after a Palma de Mallorca court upheld tax fraud charges against her.
However, the high court in Palma de Mallorca dropped money-laundering charges.
The charges relate to business dealings by Infanta Cristina’s husband, Inaki Urdangarin.
Princess Cristina of Spain could face trial after a Palma de Mallorca court upheld tax fraud charges against her
Many Spaniards have recently lost confidence in the monarchy following a series of scandals, including Princess Cristina’s case.
Judges have been investigating allegations that Inaki Urdangarin embezzled millions in public funds with a former business partner and that the princess had knowingly benefited from the dealings.
Princess Cristina’s lawyers have said they are completely convinced of her innocence.
King Felipe VI succeeded his father, King Juan Carlos, who abdicated in June 2014.
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