Princess Cristina Of Spain Appears In Court For Tax Evasion Charges

Princess Cristina, a member of the Spanish royal family, officially went to court today to face tax evasion charges that have been put against her and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin.

Princess of Spain Facing Tax Evasion Charges

Cristina – full title Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia – went to court on the Balearic island of Mallorca on Monday with 17 co-defendants to face 89 charges that include fraud, money laundering, and trafficking of influences. Her husband, Urdangarin, also faces money laundering charges. She is alleged to have been involved in illegal business of Urdangarin. The trial will be heard by three judges with Cristina and her husband facing eight and 19 years, respectively, in prison if found guilty of these charges.

Both Cristina and her husband were calm in the courtroom as defense attorneys argued that under the Botín doctrine she should not have to stand trial. The doctrine states that if charges brought by popular action is not supported by the state, the defendant should not be put on trial.

Urdangarin is suspected of exploiting his connections to win fraudulent contracts worth €5.8 m through the Instituto Nóos, which is a non-profit organization that organizes sport and tourism events. It is stated that the Infanta took €2.6 m with her husband in the shell company that they own to launder that money. The prosecution team states that Cristina could not have been unaware of her husband’s actions.