Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma08/01/2016 00:00
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With the “caso Nóos” trial beginning in Palma on Monday, Princess Cristina’s lawyer, Miquel Roca i Junyent, says that his client will be taking her place in the courtroom with calmness. Speaking at his office in Barcelona on Friday, Roca said that he had advised the princess to approach the trial with composure and calmness and to have confidence in the application of law, noting that justice is equal to all. Asked if the trial will be affected by the high level of media attention and presence, Roca answered that he hopes, wishes and is convinced that this will not be the case.

The first day of the trial will be dedicated to preliminary questions from the lawyers. Roca confirmed that the defendants will not be involved in any way on Monday. He stressed that the princess’s defence will use what he described as a lack of legitimacy on behalf of Manos Limpias as private prosecutor. (It needs restating that the public prosecutor is not bringing any charges against the princess.)

In responding to a question as to whether the princess should divorce Iñaki Urdangarin on account of the charges levelled against him, Roca said: “It is not for us to hurt what the couple themselves believe or want.”

The King’s sister will sit in the dock accused of tax evasion. She has already been stripped of her title of the Duchess of Palma, and will heap yet further embarrasment on Spain’s ruling Bourbons when she becomes the first royal born member to stand trial. The 50-year-old youngest daughter of former King Juan Carlos will be in the dock alongside her disgraced husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, a one-time Olympic handball champion who is accused of fraud and embezzlement.

Cristina will stand accused of two counts of accessory to tax fraud while her husband is accused along with a former business partner of creaming off €6 million in public funds from contracts awarded to Nóos, a charitable foundation which he chaired.
Cristina’s lawyers say she is innocent of any wrongdoing and that she trusted her husband to handle their financial affairs.