King Felipe of Spain's brother-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin is heading to jail. The Spanish Supreme Court upheld Infanta Cristina's husband’s prison sentence on Tuesday, 12 June. The royal in-law must serve five years and ten months. Iñaki was found guilty on numerous counts last year, including fraud and tax evasion. The latest court ruling shaved five months off his prison sentence. The Spanish Supreme Court also overturned one of his guilty verdicts, for falsifying documents.
Iñaki Urdangarin's prison sentence was upheld on 12 June
While the court upheld the prison sentence, the is a small chance Iñaki could avoid or delay incarceration "if he appeals to Spain's Constitutional Court and that court agrees to reopen the case." The King's sister Cristina was found not guilty of tax fraud last year. At the time, the lower court fined Queen Sofia's daughter about $312,000 for her involvement in her husband's businesses. That amount was cut in half on Tuesday.
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The Nóos case first began in 2010. Iñaki, a former Olympic handball medalist, was accused of exploiting his royal connections to win contracts and embezzle millions in public funds for private spending.
The disgraced businessman is married to King Felipe's sister Cristina Photo: Getty Images
Back in 2015, King Felipe stripped his sister of her title, the Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. The decree to revoke her right to use the title was signed by the King and then-Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. At the time, Cristina's lawyer stressed that his client was "in complete agreement" with her brother's decision and that she communicated her desire to give her title voluntarily "days ago." Cristina, who is sixth-in-line to the throne, was the first member of the Spanish royal family to go on trial since the monarchy’s restoration in 1975.
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