Monday 11 January 2016

Cristina's tax fraud trial to begin

Today, the Infanta Cristina of Spain will enter court to face criminal charges. The sister of King Felipe VI and daughter of King Juan Carlos I becomes the first member of her country's royal family to face a criminal trial.


The Infanta Cristina of Spain

Cristina is accused of being accomplice to tax fraud. Her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, also faces charges including embezzlement and money laundering. Both could go to prison if found guilty. Both deny all the charges against them.



Cristina will face court in Mallorca on January 11th
(photo By David_Cameron,_Andrew_Mitchell,_Bill_Gates_and_Ellen_Johnson-Sirleaf,_together_with_members_of_the_GAVI_board_(2).jpg: DFID - UK Department for International Developmentderivative work: FishInWater [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Cristina's lawyers are set to argue that she shouldn't even face criminal charges under the Botin doctrine which states that if a case is brought by a private organisation rather than the public prosecutor then the accused should walk free. The case against Cristina has been brought by the trade union, Manos Limpios.


King Felipe VI of Spain stripped his sister of the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca in 2015

Once, Cristina and Inaki were the golden couple of Spain's Royal Family. They married in 1997 and had four children but in 2011, he was placed under investigation. The Spanish Royal Family distanced themselves from him and in 2015 King Felipe stripped his sister of the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. Today, she will walk into a courtroom there to face trial.

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