Spanish Royals in Court For Corruption Case

25.02.2012

Spanish King Juan Carlos's son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin goes before a judge in a corruption case that has caused a rare embarrassment for Spain's royals.

The case implicating Urdangarin, 44, a former Olympic handball player married to the king's youngest daughter Cristina, is the first major scandal to touch Juan Carlos's family.

The allegations of royal corruption have raised indignation at a time when Spaniards are suffering the effects of an economic downturn, tough spending cuts and an unemployment rate of nearly 23 percent.

Urdangarin and Cristina arrived by car late Friday evening at the Marivent Palace, a royal seaside summer home in Palma, capital of the Balearic Islands.

Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma, is due to appear at Palma's high court at 9:00 am (0800 GMT) for a preliminary hearing in the investigation, in which he is a suspect along with some of his former associates.

He is suspected of siphoning off money paid by regional governments to the Noos Institute, a charitable organisation he chaired from 2004 to 2006, for staging sporting events and conferences.

The duke denies any wrongdoing, but the king has sought to distance himself from the affair and in December the royal family suspended Urdangarin from official engagements.

The palace's highest official, Rafael Spottorno, at that time said Urdangarin's behaviour "does not seem exemplary".