The last few years have not been easy for the Spanish royal family. Between King Juan Carlos' expensive safari trip of 2012 along with rumors of keeping several mistresses, to the never-ending story of Princess Leticia's possible anorexia, these times are not looking very bright for the monarchs of Spain. And, as if things couldn't get more complicated for the royal family, last week Cristina de Borbon, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, became the first member of the Spanish royal family to appear as suspect before a court.
The Infanta Cristina, as she is known in her country, is seventh in line to the Spanish throne and is suspected of being part of a money laundering case involving the Aizoon consultancy firm that the Princess co-owned with her husband, Inaki Urdangarin. Apart from being suspected of using his Aizoon firm as a shell company for illicit funds, Urdangarin also faces charges of petting influence and embezzling 6 million euros of public funds when he was the head of Noos, an NGO organization that ran events in the Balearic Islands. Urdangarin had used his connections to the royal family to build stable business deals and exclusive contracts with the government of the Balearic Islands.
A romance born amidst sports--as Princess Cristina represented Spain in sailing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and Urdangarin was a former Olympic handball medalist--the two married in 1997, when he received the title of the Duke of Palma. Both were generally well-liked by the country. However, much like the rest of the Spanish royal family who has suffered one scandal after another, the respect that Spain once held for the popular couple is slowly vanishing.
The Duke of Palma has appeared twice before the judge in order to distance his wife from his business dealings, a testimony that subsequently cleared the princess of being directly involved in the Noos case.
At first, the Noos case seemed to be the only issue. But as the judge of the case opened a separate investigation into the Aizoon company, many company expenses marked as "personal" were never declared in the income taxes of the royal couple. And not only that, these so-called personal expenses lowered the company tax, making it a double fraud. These expenses covered a lavish lifestyle, such as foreign trips, renovations for family homes, and pricey paintings.
Last Saturday at the courthouse in the Balearic Island of Palma de Mallorca, the Infanta Cristina faced Judge Jose Castro, who presented a series of accusations from civil rights groups in a ruling of 227 pages. Throughout her day-long testimony in court, the Princess and her lawyers defended her innocence, as she claimed that she was unaware of her husband's wrongdoings and that she had invested in the company because she believed in him.
As the investigation continues, four years after it was opened, if the amounts spent reach a value of more than 120,000 euros per year, the Princess' crime of non-reporting could lead to prison time. When the proceedings are completed, the case could go to trial or a deal could be made if the Princess pleads guilty.
This case has been the center of Spanish news and scandal for years--even more now with the Princess' involvement--to the point where Urdangarin has become some sort of a national joke. As far as the royal family is concerned, while they were well respected when things were going well, they have taken a definite toll. The infinite scandals, exaggerated spending and the bad timing of the economic crisis, have damaged the image of the Spanish monarchs to an irreparable extent. Perhaps with the case of the Infanta Cristina will bring help heal that image in an indirect way, as the judicial system proves that the law is indeed the same for everyone.
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Video Wednesday: The Law is the Same for Everyone—Bluebloods Included
February 12, 2014
The last few years have not been easy for the Spanish royal family. Between King Juan Carlos' expensive safari trip of 2012 along with rumors of keeping several mistresses, to the never-ending story of Princess Leticia's possible anorexia, these times are not looking very bright for the monarchs of Spain. And, as if things couldn't get more complicated for the royal family, last week Cristina de Borbon, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, became the first member of the Spanish royal family to appear as suspect before a court.
The Infanta Cristina, as she is known in her country, is seventh in line to the Spanish throne and is suspected of being part of a money laundering case involving the Aizoon consultancy firm that the Princess co-owned with her husband, Inaki Urdangarin. Apart from being suspected of using his Aizoon firm as a shell company for illicit funds, Urdangarin also faces charges of petting influence and embezzling 6 million euros of public funds when he was the head of Noos, an NGO organization that ran events in the Balearic Islands. Urdangarin had used his connections to the royal family to build stable business deals and exclusive contracts with the government of the Balearic Islands.
A romance born amidst sports--as Princess Cristina represented Spain in sailing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and Urdangarin was a former Olympic handball medalist--the two married in 1997, when he received the title of the Duke of Palma. Both were generally well-liked by the country. However, much like the rest of the Spanish royal family who has suffered one scandal after another, the respect that Spain once held for the popular couple is slowly vanishing.
The Duke of Palma has appeared twice before the judge in order to distance his wife from his business dealings, a testimony that subsequently cleared the princess of being directly involved in the Noos case.
At first, the Noos case seemed to be the only issue. But as the judge of the case opened a separate investigation into the Aizoon company, many company expenses marked as "personal" were never declared in the income taxes of the royal couple. And not only that, these so-called personal expenses lowered the company tax, making it a double fraud. These expenses covered a lavish lifestyle, such as foreign trips, renovations for family homes, and pricey paintings.
Last Saturday at the courthouse in the Balearic Island of Palma de Mallorca, the Infanta Cristina faced Judge Jose Castro, who presented a series of accusations from civil rights groups in a ruling of 227 pages. Throughout her day-long testimony in court, the Princess and her lawyers defended her innocence, as she claimed that she was unaware of her husband's wrongdoings and that she had invested in the company because she believed in him.
As the investigation continues, four years after it was opened, if the amounts spent reach a value of more than 120,000 euros per year, the Princess' crime of non-reporting could lead to prison time. When the proceedings are completed, the case could go to trial or a deal could be made if the Princess pleads guilty.
This case has been the center of Spanish news and scandal for years--even more now with the Princess' involvement--to the point where Urdangarin has become some sort of a national joke. As far as the royal family is concerned, while they were well respected when things were going well, they have taken a definite toll. The infinite scandals, exaggerated spending and the bad timing of the economic crisis, have damaged the image of the Spanish monarchs to an irreparable extent. Perhaps with the case of the Infanta Cristina will bring help heal that image in an indirect way, as the judicial system proves that the law is indeed the same for everyone.
