Spanish Judge Recommends Princess Cristina Is Charged in Corruption Probe

http://online.wsj.com/articles/spanish-judge-recommends-princess-cristina-is-charged-in-corruption-probe-1403685138



Spain's Princess Cristina, right, in April 2010, and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, arriving at Barcelona's courthouse in 2013.

Spanish Judge Recommends Princess Cristina Is Charged in Corruption Probe
By David Román
June 25, 2014 4:32 a.m. ET

MADRID—An investigating judge Wednesday recommended that Princess Cristina, a sister of Spain's new king, be charged in a corruption probe that has helped inflame opposition to the monarchy.

In a court filing marking the end of a four-year investigation, Judge José Castro wrote that he will maintain the princess as a suspect in the case, together with several others, including her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin.

This is a key procedural step in Spain's legal system. All of the suspects in the case will now be able to file appeals. If a local court which is superior to Mr. Castro's rejects those appeals, prosecutors will be free to formally charge the suspects and a trial date will be set. The 48-year-old princess and her husband, a former Olympic handball player, deny any wrongdoing.

The filing comes just days after Princess Cristina's brother ascended the throne as Felipe VI, following the abdication of their father, King Juan Carlos.