Solicitor general’s office does not think princess is guilty of fiscal fraud

The solicitor general’s office says it does not believe Princess Cristina has committed financial crimes. The chief attorney in the Balearics region, María Dolores Ripoll, on Friday told the investigating judge in the Nóos corruption case that she sees no reason why the princess can be held criminally responsible for the fiscal fraud of which her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, is accused solely because she was a joint owner of their Aizóon firm.

The statement makes Ripoll’s stance clear on possible new lines of inquiry into the Princess’s alleged involvement in the case, in which her husband is accused of siphoning off millions in public funds via his non-profit Nóos Institute.

After the Palma High Court’s decision to quash Cristina’s indictment in the case, Judge José Castro had asked prosecutors to take up positions on possible new avenues.

On Thursday anti-corruption prosecutor Pedro Horrach asked Judge Castro to open a new line of inquiry relating to Cristina’s tax returns to look for possible evidence of financial crimes.