Princess Cristina faces trial on corruption charges

Palma.—A  Palma court yesterday  upheld corruption charges against Cristina de Borbon, sister of newly-crowned king Felipe VI, and her husband in one of the last steps before a trial that could cloud the monarchy’s bid to rebuild its reputation.
The rulings by the court come barely a  month  after king Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, who sought to repair the royal family’s scandal-worn image with a promise of honesty and transparency when he took the throne.
The court said it had formalized charges of tax fraud and money laundering against princess Cristina, 49, who was caught up in an investigation of her husband Iñaki Urdangarin’s business dealings.
Urdangarin, 46, a former Olympic handball player, is accused of using his connections to win public contracts to put on events through his non-profit organization Noos Foundation, and of embezzling several millions of euros in public funds.
The couple, who have four children, are now a few administrative steps away from being put on trial. They have both denied wrongdoing and their defense attorneys have said they will appeal the latest ruling.
In his 167-page ruling, Palma Examining Magistrate Jose Castro - who has a dual role as prosecutor and judge - said there was evidence that the couple had paid for dozens of personal items - from parking tickets to children’s birthday parties to a trip to Rio de Janeiro - out of a shell company he said was used to launder proceeds from the Noos Foundation.
“Everything indicates that Doña Cristina de Borbon y Grecia was an active participant in organizing and budgeting these events which were clearly of a personal nature,” the judge said in the ruling.