![]() His reputation was buoyed for decades by a folksy image and his private life was seldom covered by the media. Juan Carlos took the throne in 1975, on the death of dictator Francisco Franco, and he was credited with helping guide Spain to democracy. The junior partner in the coalition government, Unidas Podemos, has been more openly critical of Juan Carlos, insisting that his recent tax payments, for example, were an admission of guilt. Mr Sánchez was privy to the former king’s decision to leave the country, but his Socialist Party has expressed concerns about his behaviour and declared itself in favour of making the crown more accountable. The reign of Felipe VI has at times been overshadowed by the scandals surrounding his father Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez said: "Of course, I still believe that King Juan Carlos must give an explanation." However, even if his legal problems are resolved, Juan Carlos faces greater political opposition than he did on his departure from Spain 16 months ago, suggesting his return home may not be imminent. However, in recent days the Swiss investigation into that money has been closed, apparently ruling out the possibility that it had been a bribe from the Saudi royal family for Juan Carlos’s role in brokering a contract for the building of a high-speed rail link between Mecca and Medina.Īccording to reports, Spain's supreme court is also planning to close a probe into the same case, and shelve investigations into the former monarch's alleged use of credit cards belonging to a Mexican tycoon and an offshore bank account Juan Carlos allegedly had in Jersey. Among a series of damaging revelations was the fact he had given €65 million to a former lover, Corinna su Zayn-Wittgenstein, leading to a probe into the provenance of that money by prosecutors in Spain and Switzerland, where it was deposited. ![]() Juan Carlos (83) fled to the United Arab Emirates in August 2020, amid a storm of scandals about his financial affairs. He is currently being sued in the London High Court by his former mistress, the Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, who claims he used Spain’s spy agency to target and harass her and her children after their five-year relationship ended.The shelving of a judicial investigation into Spain's disgraced former king Juan Carlos, who has been living in self-exile in Abu Dhabi for over a year, is fuelling speculation about his future. However Juan Carlos is still facing legal action. In March 2020, Felipe stripped Juan Carlos of his annual stipend and renounced his own personal inheritance from his father in a bid to distance himself from the scandal. The return to his homeland for the first time since he moved to the UAE in August 2020 comes after a judicial investigation into the secret fortune of Juan Carlos was shelved on technical grounds, despite finding that the former king had evaded more than €50 million (£42 million) in tax by failing to declare offshore accounts.Įarlier this year prosecutors shelved three separate investigations into his financial affairs, citing insufficient evidence, the statute of limitations, and the monarch’s constitutional immunity. However, the Casa Real pointed out in a statement released on Wednesday that Juan Carlos will not be staying overnight at Zarzuela. Archive photo of King Felipe and his father King Juan Carlos.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |