PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain — Spain’s Princess Cristina took the stand Thursday to testify in a fraud trial that could result in her spending up to eight years in prison if convicted, but invoked her right to answer only questions posed by her lawyer.
PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain — Spain’s Princess Cristina has testified at her trial that she didn’t know why personal expenses for her and her husband were paid for with a credit card for a company they co-owned.
Cristina sat silently before the panel of three judges after her husband Inaki Urdangarin wrapped up three days of testimony and listened to questions posed by a lawyer with the group that leveled charges against her.
Cristina spent 20 minutes Thursday answering questions from her lawyer after declining to take questions from an attorney with the group that leveled tax fraud charges against her.
She faces two counts of tax fraud, and each carry a maximum jail sentence of four years.
The princess testified that her husband paid family expenses and that she never asked him about the business dealings of the Aizoon company which operated from an office in their Barcelona mansion.
Prosecutors recommended not charging her, saying she should face an administrative fine at most.
The case centers on accusations that Urdangarin used his former title of Duke of Palma to embezzle about 6 million euros ($6.6 million) in public funds.
But under Spanish law, groups like the Manos Limpias (Clean Hands) organization involved in the princess’ trial can pursue criminal charges against people when authorities decide against doing so.
Seventeen people are charged, including Urdangarin and the princess.
Cristina’s lawyer was expected to ask her questions after the lawyer for Manos Limpias finished reading a lengthy list of questions.
Earlier Thursday, Cristina’s husband was unable to explain in court how personal expenses such as safari trips and wine for him and his wife were billed to the credit card of a company they co-owned.
But Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball medalist turned entrepreneur, insisted he never knew he might have been doing anything questionable.
Urdangarin said that his wife never used the credit card for the Aizoon real estate consultancy the couple co-owned.
He said he and other people used it, passing the bills to his secretary at the firm labeled a “front company” in court documents.
Urdangarin was unable to explain in court Thursday how personal expenses such as safari trips and wine for him and his wife were billed to Aizoon’s credit card. He said he and other people used it and he passed the bills to his secretary at the company, which has been labeled a “front company” in court documents.
The case centers on accusations that Urdangarin used his former title of Duke of Palma to embezzle about 6 million euros ($6.6 million) in public funds. Seventeen people are charged in the case, including Urdangarin and the princess.
An investigative judge found that the couple never reported as income personal expenses billed to the company, but Urdangarin testified he relied on the advice of others for determining which expenses should be charged to Aizoon.
“I have never been aware of committing any tax offense because I had my advisers who told me everything was correct,” Urdangarin said.
The couple enjoyed a lavish lifestyle from the Barcelona mansion they have since been forced to sell. The expenses charged to Aizoon cited in court included 15,797 euros ($17,174) for a safari trip to Africa, 6,672 euros for a coaching course for Cristina and 1,357 euros for wine.
Urdangarin said he had made Cristina a co-director of Aizoon because he wanted her to be part of his new project, but he also insisted “she didn’t have anything to do with the company’s activities.”
Legal experts say Cristina’s defense relies on her saying she knew nothing about her husband’s business activities.
Urdangarin, who faces stiffer charges and a possible jail sentence of nearly 20 years, testified Wednesday that palace officials who worked for former King Juan Carlos oversaw the princess’ tax filings and had detailed knowledge of his business operations.
Cristina is the sister of King Felipe VI, who took power in 2014 after his father abdicated. She is the first member of Spain’s royal family to face criminal charges since the monarchy was restored in 1975.
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Ciaran Giles contributed from Madrid.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
