Court stuns Spain by demanding Princess Cristina face trial

[rooster59]

Court stuns Spain by demanding Princess Cristina face trial



Spain’s Princess Cristina is to be the first ever member of the Spanish royals to go on trial after a court sensationally ruled she would have to face charges in court ranging from money laundering to fraud.

Cristina had appealed against her case being heard and may have hoped she could strike a behind-closed-doors deal to avoid a public expose of her actions. Now it will all come out in public.

She has stood by her husband Inaki Urdangarin, despite King Felipe, her brother, demanding she divorce, although she also insists she did not know what her spouse was up to at their charitable foundation. She has also resisted Felipe’s attempts to strip her of her title.

However she is named as an accomplice along with her husband and 16 other people, and faces a possible eight years in prison if found guilty, less than half the penalty Urdangarin could face.

It is a big moment for Spain, which has signally failed to prosecute those, like builders or bankers, thought responsible for the economic collapse. Secretive deals have been struck to keep their misdeeds out of the public eye. But Cristina’s may now be exposed.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-30

[sanukjim]

Great going Spanish courts.

[clockman]

No LM in Spain.

[colinneil]

Just imagine that happening in Thailand.

[Srikcir]

No LM in Spain.

WRONG.

Spain, Netherlands, Sweden and Monaco have lèse-majesté laws. Usually these laws are used to restrict freedom of expression concerning the monarchy. The Spanish court seems to have decided that the charge of tax evasion falls outside LM - no one should be exempt from crimes by virtue of their standing in society.

[Suradit69]

Now if only the American courts could prosecute all the American "royalty" responsible for the real estate crisis in 2007-2008.

...in the 1980s, the so-called savings-and-loan crisis, which again had some eerie parallels to more recent events, resulted in the successful criminal prosecution of more than eight hundred individuals, right up to Charles Keating. And again, the widespread accounting frauds of the 1990s, most vividly represented by Enron and WorldCom, led directly to the successful prosecution of such previously respected CEOs as Jeffrey Skilling and Bernie Ebbers.

In striking contrast with these past prosecutions, not a single high-level executive has been successfully prosecuted in connection with the recent financial crisis, and given the fact that most of the relevant criminal provisions are governed by a five-year statute of limitations, it appears likely that none will be. It may not be too soon, therefore, to ask why.

[stoneyboy]

Now if only the American courts could prosecute all the American "royalty" responsible for the real estate crisis in 2007-2008.

...in the 1980s, the so-called savings-and-loan crisis, which again had some eerie parallels to more recent events, resulted in the successful criminal prosecution of more than eight hundred individuals, right up to Charles Keating. And again, the widespread accounting frauds of the 1990s, most vividly represented by Enron and WorldCom, led directly to the successful prosecution of such previously respected CEOs as Jeffrey Skilling and Bernie Ebbers.

In striking contrast with these past prosecutions, not a single high-level executive has been successfully prosecuted in connection with the recent financial crisis, and given the fact that most of the relevant criminal provisions are governed by a five-year statute of limitations, it appears likely that none will be. It may not be too soon, therefore, to ask why.

You should focus your attention elsewhere.

[soalbundy]

So she didn't say,''Don't you know who i am'' works wonders here.

[Somtamnication]

I just don't care. That family has been corrupt for generations.

[Scouse123]

All these matters boil down to abusing the privilege of position and power.What do they say, ' Power corrupts and total power corrupts totally '

I was a former fan of the Royal family and still am of the Queen of England and the way she has conducted herself in office for all this time. I have no time at all for all the rest of the hangers-on and those who feel they just be afforded special privileges by virtue of birth.

We had various forms in the UK of deep rooted corruption including Princess Fergie offering all kinds of ins and outs with royal family and influential people provided her palm ' was crossed with silver! ' There is then an extended list of Royals all on the taxpayers bill and if not, afforded ' high paying PR jobs ' because of who their parents are, not on abilities.

It all makes for a sickening ' them and us ' scenario. On a different note, we had ' cash for questions ' in the Houses of Parliament ( again abusing privilege ) then to cap it off the gigantic fiddling of expenses by MPs. It was almost beyond belief that stunts and tricks that these bastards tried to pull to avoid being held to account for their actions and stealing from the public purse, and the latest is,( fiddling of a different nature ) ' cover ups ' of paedophiles operating within the highest echelons of power in the UK government.

If wrong doing has occurred in Spain, and the courts obviously feel there is a case to answer, she should be called and be taken to account. The same applies in Europe. Her own brother told her to divorce or give up her royal title NEITHER of which she wants to do!

The same applies as far as I am concerned right the way around the world including those in the USA that believe they are the US equivalent of a royal line. In 2016, it's about time all people were responsible for their actions. That, however, is in a perfect world.

I admired Iceland and the way they dealt with corrupt white collar ' you can't touch me ' <deleted>........ They slung them in jail, and well done Iceland as they were a right bunch of bankers!!!

Makes you think French got something right in the 1790s!

[movsrus]

Now if only the American courts could prosecute all the American "royalty" responsible for the real estate crisis in 2007-2008.

...in the 1980s, the so-called savings-and-loan crisis, which again had some eerie parallels to more recent events, resulted in the successful criminal prosecution of more than eight hundred individuals, right up to Charles Keating. And again, the widespread accounting frauds of the 1990s, most vividly represented by Enron and WorldCom, led directly to the successful prosecution of such previously respected CEOs as Jeffrey Skilling and Bernie Ebbers.

In striking contrast with these past prosecutions, not a single high-level executive has been successfully prosecuted in connection with the recent financial crisis, and given the fact that most of the relevant criminal provisions are governed by a five-year statute of limitations, it appears likely that none will be. It may not be too soon, therefore, to ask why.

You should focus your attention elsewhere.

If one wants to get the attention of the big money fat cats on Wall Street then just show Lloyd Blankfein, Jamie Diamond or any other head of the big investment banks doing a perp walk in an orange jumpsuit and used flip flops. Even better would be seeing them hand in the $5000 Brioni suits and Gucci loafers as they took the prison garb. Big money bankers will pay whatever it takes to make a headache go away but once they start looking at some time in the can their attention will be riveted to how to avoid that possibility. The concept of moral hazard only works when it can inflict pain on the people making the decisions to cut corners.