Caso Nóos - will Princess Cristina be the first Spanish royal to go to prison?

[Janet]

It's unlikely, but she could ... prosecutors are asking for 8 years. Her husband, meanwhile, ex-handball player Iñaki Urdangarin, is facing 20 years in jail.

I don't know how many are familiar with the Caso Nóos but it's a huge embezzlement embarrassment for the Spanish royal family, and the verdict is due at 11am this morning!

Neither Princess nor husband are in Spain any more, they've scarpered to Switzerland, selling their multi-million house in Barcelona. They've been stripped (or he at least has been stripped) of the title Dukes of Palma ...

The whole scandal was probably the final straw in the loss of prestige for old King Juan Carlos when it all blew up a few years ago, and new King Felipe has clearly kept his distance, and the moral high ground ...

It will be interesting to hear the verdict in half an hour!

Potted history HERE for those who would like to know more.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Duke of Parma - good one!  Parma's where the ham comes from, Palma de Mallorca is what they were formerly dukes of.

I'd love to see them do some time.  Think of the shock waves it'd send through the political classes.

[Janet]

 

edited! must have been thinking about snouts in troughs ...

[Janet]

She was acquitted ... the "nice but dim" Iñaki carries the can. Sentenced to 6 years 3 months (will he come back to Spain to go to jail??), and his co-partner in the case Torres gets 8 years.

[Perikles]

Here's the English version of the El País report

Note the detail:

The charges against the king's sister were not brought by state prosecutors or by tax authorities, but by a private prosecution – a far-right anti-corruption group called Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which has since been dismantled after its leader Miguel Bernad was arrested. Investigators found that Bernad had tried to extort the royal's defense lawyers for a €3 million payment in exchange for dropping the charges against her.

How ironic