Spanish king's son-in-law makes second appearance in court over suspected fraudulent deals

FILE - In this May 22, 2006 file photo, Spain's King Juan Carlos arrives with his daughter, Princess Cristina, and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, for the Laureus World Sports Awards in Barcelona, Spain. Urdangarin is accused of having used his position to embezzle several million dollars in public contracts assigned to a nonprofit foundation he set up. The corruption scandal is contributing to the public's diminishing respect for the monarchy. With the 75-year-old king's reputation in decline and several health scares recently, Juan Carlos and the Spanish monarchy are facing one of their biggest crises ever. The last time Juan Carlos appeared in public in front of thousands of people, he was greeted by persistent heckling and whistling never before seen during his reign of nearly four decades. (AP Photo/Jasper Juinen, File) (The Associated Press)

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FILE - In this March 23, 2010 file photo, Inaki Urdangarin, the son-in-law of Spain's King Juan Carlos, delivers a speech at the CTIA wireless show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Urdangarin, married to the king's second daughter, Princess Cristina, is accused of having used his position to embezzle several million dollars in public contracts assigned to a nonprofit foundation he set up. The corruption scandal is contributing to the public's diminishing respect for the monarchy. With the 75-year-old king's reputation in decline and several health scares recently, Juan Carlos and the Spanish monarchy are facing one of their biggest crises ever. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this June 11, 2006 file photo, Spanish Princess Christina and her husband Inaki Urdangarin watch the men's tennis final at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris. Urdangarin is accused of having used his position to embezzle several million dollars in public contracts assigned to a nonprofit foundation he set up. The corruption scandal is contributing to the public's diminishing respect for the monarchy. With the 75-year-old king's reputation in decline and several health scares recently, Juan Carlos and the Spanish monarchy are facing one of their biggest crises ever. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File) (The Associated Press)

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain – The Spanish king's son-in-law arrived at court Saturday to be questioned by a judge about allegations he and a partner funneled millions of euros to companies they controlled.

Inaki Urdangarin — the Duke of Palma — who has not been charged with a crime, made his way into the building amid tense street scenes where a contingent of around 170 police kept noisy protesters away from the courthouse.

Urdangarin — facing his second appearance in court — did not stop to say anything to the crowd, but wished some 100 journalists accredited to cover the event a curt "good morning."

He has been called to answer questions at a courthouse on this Mediterranean island about whether he used his high-profile status to secure lucrative deals for a nonprofit foundation he ran and then fraudulently diverted money for personal gain.

The investigation into the alleged financial misdeeds has deeply embarrassed the monarchy in a country hard hit by a financial crisis and sky-high unemployment.

It ranks among the worst public relations mishaps the royal household has experienced in the 37-year reign of King Juan Carlos.

Judge Jose Castro was set to question Urdangarin about three alleged offenses against the Treasury, including corporate tax fraud related to his foundation and matters linked to his personal income tax returns.

As stated in the writ of summons, the judge also intends to ask about alleged bank accounts in tax havens such as Andorra, Luxembourg and Switzerland.