ANKARA
A Spanish judge on Monday formally charged Princess Cristina de Borbon, the king’s younger sister along with her husband for money laundering and fiscal fraud.
Judge Jose Castro from a court on the island of Mallorca ordered Cristina, 49, to stand trial for tax fraud in connection with her husband’s business affairs. If convicted, Cristina could face up to four years in prison.
Castro claims that princess' husband Inaki Urdangarin used his influence as a member of the royal household to obtain lucrative contracts to organize sports events without any public bidding.
The judge also argues that Cristina's 50-percent ownership of Aizoon, a real estate and consulting firm Cristina co-owned with her husband made her a cooperator in the fraud.
Besides Cristina, 16 other people will take the stand in connection with the Noos case, named after the non-profit Noos Institute that Urdangarin and his business partner Diego Torres.
The Noos case, is an ongoing case of alleged political corruption that started in 2010 where leaders of the Noos Institute were accused of corruption and used to secure contracts from the governments of Valencia and the Balearics.
Inaki Urdangarin is an Olympic handball medalist turned businessman. In 2009, the couple and their four children relocated in Washington, where Urdangarin had taken a job.
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