The king of Spain’s youngest daughter has been summoned to appear in court over money laundering and tax evasion allegations, in the latest blow to the Spanish royal family’s reputation.
The charges relate to the alleged embezzlement of public funds by Princess Cristina’s husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, and his business partner Diego Torres. Cristina – now a formal suspect – will have to testify in court in Palma de Mallorca on 8 March.
Urdangarin and Torres are accused of pocketing €5.8m in public funds that were channelled through their not-for-profit Instituto Nóos and the family business Aizoon, of which Cristina is co-owner. The bulk of the money came from the regional governments of Valencia and the Balearic Islands, both of whose presidents have faced a string of corruption charges.
Some of the claims against Urdangarin and Cristina relate to the €6m mansion the couple bought in Barcelona and the further €3m they spent on home improvements. The house has since been confiscated to cover Torres and Urdangarin’s bail of €6.1m. The net began to close on Cristina when documents showed that she had signed herself as both owner and tenant of the palace, The Guardian informs.
José Castro, the investigating judge, claims that putting the princess on the stand will remove “any shadow of suspicion” that she is receiving special treatment. Ana María Tejeiro, Torres’ wife, has been indicted since the start of the investigation while Cristina was treated as being above suspicion. “Are not all Spaniards equal before the law?” Tejeiro’s lawyer asked the judge.
