Five Spanish Supreme Court justices held a hearing on Wednesday to decide on the future of Iñaki Urdangarin , King Felipe VI ’ s brother-in-law , in connection with the Nóos corruption case . Nóos received millions of euros in public funds thanks to Urdangarin ’ s high-placed contacts Urdangarin , a former Olympic handball champion who was sentenced to six years and three months in prison but appealed the ruling , did not show up at the court session that will help decide whether he goes to jail or is acquitted . On February 17 of last year , a regional court in Palma de Mallorca found Urdangarin guilty of fraud , embezzlement , influence peddling and tax crimes in a case that also ensnared his wife , Cristina de Borbón , the younger of the current monarch ’ s two sisters . The corruption scandal revolved around the Nóos Institute , a non-profit foundation run by Urdangarin and his business partner Diego Torres , and used to secure lucrative no-bid contracts from regional governments for sports and tourism events . The ‘ infanta ’ Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin at the wedding of Sweden 's Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling in 2010 . ATTILA KISBENEDEK AFP Nóos received millions of euros in public funds from the regional governments of Valencia , Balearic Islands and Madrid thanks to Urdangarin ’ s high-placed contacts , and both men then diverted large sums into private accounts , the verdict found . Torres was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison , and slapped with a €1,723,843.10 fine . Prosecutors on Wednesday asked the court to extend Urdangarin and Torres ’ prison sentences because they were “ the driving force ” behind the crimes and “ the instigators of corruption. ” The prosecution wants Urdangarin to serve 10 years , and Torres 12 years and four months . Urdangarin now lives in Geneva with his family , and sources consulted by this newspaper agreed that he was not likely to show up in Palma de Mallorca today because his presence was not necessary . Cristina ’ s role El Pais Cristina de Borbón was cleared of the criminal charges against her , but was fined €265,088 in the Nóos case . The royal was never charged by either public prosecutors or tax authorities , but rather on the basis of a private prosecution that claimed that Cristina had cooperated with her husband . Her role in the case stemmed from the fact that she co-owned Aizoon , a company allegedly set up by her husband to channel some of the €6.2 million he secured for inflated contracts to organize events through his Nóos Institute . Cristina de Borbón used an Aizoon credit card to make personal purchases and claimed business deductions on her 2007 and 2008 tax filings . Instead his defense lawyer , the prosecution and state lawyers presented their own arguments before the Supreme Court ’ s Criminal Division . Because of the large number of appeals that the court has to deal with , it is possible that the Urdangarin hearing will extend over more than one day , said legal sources familiar with the situation . And a decision might take weeks if not months to be handed down , said the same sources . If the Supreme Court upholds the earlier decision , or extends the prison sentence as prosecutors wish , Urdangarin could still challenge the ruling before the Constitutional Court , and simultaneously request to remain free until this last court delivers its own verdict . His defense lawyer attempted to convince the Supreme Court that his client should be exonerated because “ he never handled accounting , financial or tax matters ” at Nóos . Prosecutors tried to persuade justices of the opposite , and requested a harsher sentence of 10 years . English version by Susana Urra .
Five justices from the Supreme Court will have to decide whether to ratify the prison sentence against Iñaki Urdangarin