Spain's Princess Cristina takes the stand
March 4, 2016
The 50-year-old sister of Spain's King Felipe took the stand on Thursday but refused to answer questions from the prosecution, instead responding only to those from her own lawyers.
Princess Cristina is charged as an accessory to tax evasion as her husband, former professional handball player Inaki Urdangarin, faces accusations that he embezzled 6 million euros ($6.6 million) in public funds. Prosecutors believe some of that money might have gone to a company co-owned by the princess.
"My husband took care of all the financial dealings of the family and I would try and work out the family's timetable," Cristina said in court. She maintains that her husband - who faces a possible jail sentence of nearly 20 years - is innocent as well.
An anti-corruption organization called "Manos Limpias," or "Clean Hands," levelled the initial accusations at the princess.
The trial has tainted the monarchy's reputation in Spain, as it's the first time a member of the royal family has gone on trial since the country's transition to democracy in the mid-1970s.
blc/bw (AP, AFP, Reuters)