Published 11:48 IST, August 9th 2020
Spain's ex-King Juan Carlos is in Abu Dhabi after leaving country: Reports
Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who is soaked in a corruption scandal and announced on August 3 that he was leaving the country, has reportedly gone to UAE.
- World News
- 2 min read
Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who is soaked in a corruption scandal and announced on August 3 that he was leaving the country, has reportedly gone to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to Spanish media, Juan Carlos has left the country for Abu Dhabi, where he is purportedly staying at the five-star Emirates Palace hotel. The monarch was photographed while coming out from a private plane in Abu Dhabi, which was published by the Spanish media group NIUS. Earlier media reports had suggested that the king might have gone to neighbouring Portugal or the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.
Why did Juan leave?
According to reports, the former king on Monday had announced his departure in a letter to his son Felipe, who is currently occupying the throne. Juan Carlos, who ruled Spain for 40 years from 1975 to 2014, helped Spain's transition to democracy, making it a constitutional monarchy, for which he was hailed widely. However, the reputation surrounding the monarchy began to suffer after several controversies including the infamous elephant-hunting trip that Carlos undertook when the country was suffering from a financial crisis. Carlos abdicated from the throne in 2014 in favour of his son after a corruption investigation against him was launched.
In June this year, the Supreme Court of Spain ordered an investigation into the alleged role of Carlos in a $6 billion high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia, where he is said to have received kickbacks, which he kept in a bank in Switzerland. It is said that Carlos left the country because he no longer enjoys immunity from prosecution following his abdication. The recent scandal involving Juan Carlos has re-ignited the debate surrounding monarchy in Spain with the Catalonia parliament, which was earlier seeking independence from the European country, condemning the former king's decision to leave.
(Image Credit: AP)
Updated 11:48 IST, August 9th 2020