Spain's Princess Cristina faces historic tax fraud trial
Source: Associated Press
Spain's Princess Cristina faces historic tax fraud trial
Alan Clendenning, Associated Press
Updated 6:05 pm, Sunday, January 10, 2016
MADRID (AP) — Visits to the palm-dotted Mediterranean island of Mallorca for Spain's Princess Cristina used to mean luxurious stays at the seaside Marivent Palace — but the sister of King Felipe VI won't get anywhere near the royal family's official summer residence in a trip this week.
Instead, the 50-year-old princess and her husband are set to face anti-monarchy protesters and hordes of media Monday as they enter a makeshift courtroom and she makes history in front of millions of Spanish TV viewers as the first royal family member to face criminal charges since the monarchy was restored in 1975.
Following the tax fraud trial expected to last six months, the princess could face up to eight years in prison if a three-member panel of judges agrees the couple abused a real estate consulting firm described in court papers as a "front company" to bankroll a lavish lifestyle — including parties at their modernist Barcelona mansion, salsa dancing classes and vacations at expensive hotels.
. . .
Details about the lavish life the couple enjoyed dribbled out in court paperwork released during the pre-trial investigation from 2011 to 2013, outraging Spaniards as the country teetered on the edge of financial chaos at the height of Europe's debt crisis. The case made for a steady stream of bad headlines for Cristina's father, former King Juan Carlos — already smarting from a big backlash after he broke his hip during a 2012 elephant hunting trip seen as an extreme example of royal excess.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Spain-s-Princess-Cristina-faces-historic-tax-6748989.php
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