Witness: Spain princess wasn’t a lure to land business deals

MADRID – A co-defendant in the tax fraud trial of Spain’s Princess Cristina has testified that her royal status wasn’t used as a lure to land business deals for a non-profit co-owned by her husband and allegedly used to embezzle millions in public contracts.

Diego Torres also testified Thursday that Cristina had no role in the day-to-day operations of the Noos Institute, although she was a board member.

Cristina’s husband Inaki Urdangarin, who is also on trial, was Torres’ business partner and had the title of Duke of Palma while they ran the institute.

But Torres said Urdangarin’s status as a member of Spain’s Olympic Committee was more important than his royal title for the institute’s publicly funded sports conferences and other deals.

Cristina is the sister of King Felipe VI.