Iñaki Urdangarin, the husband of the Infanta Cristina and brother-in-law of the King of Spain, Felipe VI, has been sentenced to five years and ten months in prison for fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement of public funds, abuse of power, fraud, tax evasion and influence peddling
The Spanish Supreme Court on Tuesday backed most of the lower court ruling that condemned the husband of the Infanta Cristina, although his sentence was reduced by five months.
In his verdict on an appeal, the court determined that Iñaki Urdangarin, brother-in-law of the King of Spain, Felipe VI, is guilty of fraud and tax evasion, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power, fraud, tax evasion and influence peddling, although he was acquitted of the crime of falsifying documents.
The Supreme Court has sentenced seven people to prison in the corruption case, with the main penalties for Iñaki Urdangarin, 5 years and 10 months; his ex-partner Diego Torres, 5 years and 8 months; the former president of the Balearic Islands Jaume Matas, 3 years and 8 months; José Luis “Pepote” Ballester, former General Director of Sports of the Balearic Islands, 15 months and two days; Gonzalo Bernal, the former manager of Illesport, 15 months and two days; Juan Carlos Alía, former director of the Balearic Tourism Institute (Ibatur), one year and two days; and Miguel Ángel Bonet, former Secretary of Ibatur, one year and two days.
Urdangarin was accused of embezzling about 6 million euros of public funds. The court concluded that Urdangarin and his partner, Diego Torres, took advantage of the privileged position of the then Duke of Palma to obtain public contracts related to sporting events.
The Supreme Court also upheld part of the fine against Cristina for taking advantage of her husband’s crimes. Initially she had been condemned to pay 265,000 euros, but this was reduced to 136,950 euros on appeal.
Cristina and her husband were stripped of their titles as Duchess and Duke of Palma after the initial verdict. The couple moved from Barcelona to Geneva with their four children when the first accusations appeared in 2012.
