World’s press will descend on Palma for royal trial

MORE than 500 journalists from all over the world have been accredited to cover the trial of the Nóos case in which the King’s sister, the Infanta Cristina, will join 17 other defendants in the dock.  

It seems that the eyes of the world will be on Mallorca when the trial starts on January 11 and the case is expected to last until the end of June. 

The Balearic local government has had to secure a large enough building on the Son Rossinyol industrial estate in which to house the trial due to the large number of parties expected to attend. 

Cristina is expected to appear for the first two days and is accused of two counts of accessory to tax fraud to a total of €337,138.  Her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, is accused, along with a former business partner, Diego Torres, of creaming off €6.2 million in public funds from contracts awarded to Nóos, a charitable foundation which he chaired.

Although the anti-corruption prosecutor sees no indications of any wrongdoings by the Infanta, the Public Prosecutor has requested more than 100 years in prison for 14 of the defendants, of which 19-and-a-half years are for Urdangarin and 16 years for Torres.

The princess has already been stripped of her title of the Duchess of Palma and the youngest daughter of former King Juan Carlos will be the first royal-born Bourbon to stand trial.