Palma.The defence lawyer acting for the King of Spain´s youngest daughter launched an appeal yesterday against a court summons she received from the Palma judge who is investigating claims that her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, embezzled more than six million euros of public funds.
The 32 page appeal states that her laywer can see no valid reason why Princess Cristina should appear in court in Palma to answer questions from the judge, Jose Castro. This is the second appeal against the summons. The prosecution has also appealed Castro´s move.
Her lawyer said that his client had no knowledge which could help the judiciary resolve the case.
Judge Castro is investigating allegations that Urdangarin and his business partner Diego Torres used the Noos sports foundation to channel millions of euros of public money from the governments of the Balearics and Valencia into their own accounts.
The Noos Foundation had been recruited by the two regional authorities to organise a series of sporting events. Urdangarin, a former professional handball player, has appeared in court in Palma twice to answer allegations of wrong-doing.
Jose Castro caused a worldwide sensation when he issued the court summons for Princess Cristina earlier this month. It was the first time in recent Spanish history that a member of the Spanish royal family had received a court notification.
Urdangarin said, during his last court hearing, that his wife had no knowledge of his business dealings.
However, the judge has said that Princess Cristina could be a valuable witness because she was on the board of the Noos Foundation. The whole case has dented the popularity of the Spanish royal family in Spain. Recent opinion polls have said that a growing number of people believe that the monarchy should be scrapped in favour of a new republic.
It has been reported that Urdangarin, whose official title is the Duke of Palma, could soon be leaving Spain to work in Qatar. It is claimed that he will be advising the Gulf state on handball. Urdangarin had been working in Washington for Telefonica but left the U.S. capital to return to Spain when the crisis first broke.
Princess Cristina works for a Spanish bank. The couple live in rented accomodation with their family in Barcelona. They have since rented out their seven million euro home and moved into a smaller home nearby.
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