Exile of Juan Carlos: the ex-king of Spain is in the United Arab Emirates

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Former King Juan Carlos, who left Spain in early August on suspicion of embezzlement, is in the United Arab Emirates. It was the Spanish Royal House which lifted the veil on Monday at its place of residence.

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The 82-year-old former ruler "  went to the United Arab Emirates on August 3 and remains there  ," a spokesman for the Royal House said on Monday, without further clarification. Juan Carlos had announced on August 3 that he was leaving his country to “  facilitate the exercise  ” of his functions for his son Felipe VI, when the Swiss and Spanish courts were going through his bank accounts.

Juan Carlos had let it be known through his lawyer that he remained at the disposal of justice if necessary. No investigation to date targets the ex-king himself but the accusations of a former mistress, Corinna Larsen, relayed by the press, aroused the curiosity of a Geneva prosecutor on his fortune that he would have placed on secret accounts in Switzerland. The former monarch, who has close ties with the Gulf monarchies , reportedly received $ 100 million from Saudi Arabia in 2008.

A " leak " for the anti-monarchist parties

The prosecutors of the Spanish Supreme Court, the only one empowered to try a former sovereign, are investigating whether the conclusion of a contract for the construction of a high-speed train in Saudi Arabia would have given rise to illegal commissions and whether the King Juan Carlos would have benefited from it, as Corinna Larsen asserts. The revelations of the press on the investigation followed one another, increasing the pressure on the Royal House which encouraged this departure abroad, with the agreement of the government.

Juan Carlos' departure into exile had  not been well received in Spain. According to a poll published Sunday by ABC , a newspaper favorable to the crown, 56% of a sample of 802 people disapprove of it. And 61% believe it harms their son. Anti-monarchist parties, including the radical left Podemos which is part of the government, denounced a "  leak  ".

(  With AFP  )

►Also read: Spain: suspected of corruption, ex-king Juan Carlos goes into exile

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• Spain
• United Arab Emirates
• Juan Carlos

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