KING Felipe VI's younger sister, the Infanta Cristina will become the first-ever royal to appear in court when she is tried over tax evasion charges this coming January 11.
The former Duchess of Palma – who was stripped of her title by her own brother in response to the accusations against her – is said to have offset personal expenses against business tax declarations and is also 50% owner of a dormant front company used by her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín, to launder money he allegedly embezzled from public funds.
Urdangarín, co-owner of the Nóos Institute – a non-profit organisation set up to promote sports and cultural events, meaning it was eligible for grants from the regional governments of the Balearic Islands and Valencia – could face up to 20 years in jail for embezzlement, forgery, fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
The ex-Olympic handball player has also lost his noble title, that of Duke of Palma, along with his wife.
Cristina, 50, told judges at a preliminary hearing that she did not know what she was signing, but just put her autograph on all documents her husband gave her 'out of love and trust' for her spouse of more than 20 years.
She and Iñaki are co-directors of the company Aizoon, S.L., which has no known activity but which was invoiced by Urdangarín for 'management consultant services'.
Details of the case so far hint that the money used to settle the invoices was the cash received by the Nóos Institute from public coffers.
About €6 million in government grants were given to the Institute, which in practice, was not a non-profit outfit at all but was making its two owners, Urdangarín and Diego Torres, a healthy income.
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