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Spanish king's daughter charged in corruption inquiry
(Reuters) - Spain's Princess Cristina, daughter of King Juan Carlos, was charged on Wednesday in a corruption inquiry against her husband, the latest in a spate of high-level graft cases that have angered Spaniards suffering in a severe recession. The princess, 47, was ordered to appear before a judge on April 27, charged in a pre-trial investigation amounting to an extraordinary legal move against a member of the royal family.
Judge Jose Castro said there was evidence the princess was an accomplice to her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín, who has been accused of tax fraud and embezzling 6 million euros in public funds when he headed a charitable foundation.
"The law is the same for everyone," the judge said in a court document explaining his decision, echoing the king's own words in his 2011 Christmas address to the nation.
Corruption experts said Castro was building up to issuing a formal indictment against both Urdangarin and Cristina that could lead to putting them both on trial.
Disenchantment with the rich and powerful has grown in Spain as unemployment has soared to 26 percent, one of the worst rates in Europe, and a cases of corruption and nepotism in the ruling classes have piled up.
Manuel Villoria, an expert in corruption and professor of political science at King Juan Carlos University, called the charges "devastating" for the royal family.
"He is saying he considers (Cristina) an accomplice, that he (Urdangarin) could not have done it without her. She had knowledge and didn't put a stop to it," Villoria said.
The decision will probably deepen public disenchantment with the royal family and fuel debate on whether the once-popular king should abdicate in favour of his son, Crown Prince Felipe.
Castro had been looking into emails which were sent by Urdangarin to his wife asking for her advice on business matters at his charitable Noos Foundation.
A former Olympics handball player, Urdangarin is accused of using his powerful connections to win public contracts to stage events on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca and elsewhere in Spain. Urdangarin has denied any wrongdoing.
Castro said he had charged Princess Cristina because he wanted her to testify in person, and under Spanish law she could have avoided doing so had he charged her as a witness.
The Royal Palace declined to comment.
King Juan Carlos, 75, and his wife, Queen Sofia, have tried to distance themselves from the scandal. Urdangarin has been barred from royal family events, and photographs of him have been taken off the official website.
"I think this is a good thing. If she did something wrong, it's logical that justice be done," said Diana Presa, a student in Madrid.
In an unrelated case that has also stirred public ire, judges have brought charges against three former treasurers of the governing People's Party for crimes ranging from bribery to money laundering to tax evasion.
Public irritation with the king has risen as his luxury lifestyle, rumors of adultery and allegations of corruption in the royal family have taken prominence in once respectful local media while ordinary Spaniards face a crippling economic crisis.
Juan Carlos was once revered for his role in shepherding a transition to democracy in the 1970s after dictator Francisco Franco died. But his image has deteriorated.
Last year he broke his hip while hunting elephants on safari in Africa, and the news enraged many Spaniards whose standard of living has plunged during the recession.
In December a survey found 79 percent of Spaniards felt that Prince Felipe was ready to be head of state, while the king's personal approval rating had fallen to 58 percent, down from 74 percent before his safari.
The latest CIS poll showed Spaniards naming corruption as the nation's second biggest problem after unemployment.
I think the actions of Urdangarin and his wife, the princess Cristina, have damaged the image of the king, and nowadays every action which can angry the people may end bad, because the situation is Spain is very bad, and if the king, who is always questioned with what’s his work, loses prestige, maybe the people will not like to have a king. To conclude, I think that the princess Cristina is really an accomplice of her husband and she knows perfectly what Urdangarin has been doing, because it’s really strange that a wife don’t know the actions of her husband.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, the situation is outrageous. While many Spaniards are trying to face the hard circumstances in this period of crisis, people like Urdangarin are stealing money (we're talking about millions of euros)from public funds to their own benefit. I guess Infanta Cristina knew about her husband's affairs, and I think they should pay for what they have done, because,as this article says, the law is the same for everyone. It's also important to say that the royal household's popularity is gradually decreasing, so many things could happen these days.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment
DeleteJust mention the monarchy me ill. I defended the idea of removing the monarchy because from my point of view it is useless. Time of crisis we face, the last thing we need are a monarchy and a state corrupt.
ReplyDeleteIt's seen they still don't have enough money so they have to rob the people... What should we expect from a country where even the stones steal?
I'm sure the daughter and son-in-law of the king won't be judged like a ordinary citizen. Probably the judge will give released them with charges, but they go to jail... I doubt it very much. Although they deserve it like all those politicians.
Everybody out!
I hope I live enough to see Spain a honest country free of scum...
I think that the Princess Cristina must know what his husband affears at Noos Foundation and he must pay for this acts, because, how her parent say at his christmas adress to the nation, the law is the same for everyone. This acts give a bad image to the others states of the UE. Everybody must be answering what's the function of the monarchy, because nobody do anythink. Finally I think that Princess Cristina don't go to the jail, the same at all politician that have been imputated recently.
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