Spanish royal to stand trial for tax fraud

A court in Spain Friday decided that the youngest sister of King Felipe VI, the Infanta Cristina de Borbon, will stand trial for tax fraud after it rejected an appeal against the charges.

The high court in the city of Palma, Mallorca, however, decided to drop charges of money laundering levelled against Cristina as part of the investigation into the Noos corruption case, also involving her husband Inaki Urdangarin, Xinhua reported.

The Noos case involves the supposed fraud of around six million euros (or $8.1 million) of public funds from the regional governments of the Balearic Islands and the Community of Valencia. This was allegedly done via the Noos Institute, a supposedly non-profit organisation set up by Urdangarin and his partner Diego Torres with Cristiana as a member of the board of directors.

A trial is likely to be held in 2016. However, analysts say she could avoid appearing in court through the Botin doctrine.

Drafted by the Supreme Court, the doctrine states that if the accusation for an offence does not come from the public prosecutor or those directly affected by events, the defendant does not have to appear in court.