Mariano Rajoy: Spanish Princess Infanta Cristina is Innocent of Money Laundering and Fraud

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has come out in defence of Spanish Princess Infanta Cristina, claiming that she is innocent of money laundering and fraud charges.

In a television interview, Rajoy said that she is innocent of corruption allegations less than three weeks before she is due to testify as a suspect in court.

"I'm absolutely convinced that things will go well for her, I'm convinced of her innocence," said Rajoy.

"I have to respect, as I've said before, the decisions of the judges and the prosecutors. I would like, as the King very rightly said, for everyone to be equal before the law. The princess also has a right to be presumed innocent."

At the beginning of this month, a judge in Spain charged Infanta Cristina, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos, with money laundering and fraud.

Jose Castro, the judge, has summoned her to appear in court on 8 March this year, according to a 200-page ruling.

The ruling claimed there was evidence that Cristina, 48, had committed criminal offences.

Last year, the Duchess of Palma de Mallorca officially became the first direct descendant of a Spanish royal to appear in court. She was summoned to appear on 27 April 2013.

The princess is married to Iñaki Urdangarín, a former Olympic handball player who was accused in November 2011 of diverting and misusing public funds for his own profit through the Instituto Nóos, a nonprofit organisation that Urdangarín ran with Spanish entrepreneur Diego Torres.

He and Torres allegedly funnelled around $6.4m away from their companies in part by "massively overcharging" local authorities for organising sports events.

In December 2011, the Spanish royals announced that Urdangarín would be excluded from all official appearances and functions for the foreseeable future.

Last year, Cristina was officially named a suspect in the corruption scandal.