It was the good news the Spanish royal family had been hoping for after years of suspicion over ex-king Juan Carlos I. The latter is no longer prosecuted by the courts, after she decided to dismiss the three investigations which targeted the father of Felipe VI for not very clear money affairs… At the time, to escape public opinion, Juan Carlos had gone into temporary exile in the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi more precisely, for more tranquility while waiting for things to settle down. But while he is now free to return to Spain without fear of the slightest arrest, Juan Carlos has decided to spend a little more time than expected there.
A choice he explained to his son in a letter unveiled by the royal house: “I prefer, for the time being, for reasons which belong to my private sphere and which concern only me, to continue to reside permanently and stably in Abu Dhabi.he wrote. Once known the decisions of the general prosecutor’s office, by which the investigations of which I was the subject were closed, it seems appropriate to me to think of my return to Spain, but not in the immediate future.“.
At 84, Juan Carlos I explains that he was very well received in Abu Dhabi and appreciates the new life he has been leading there for two years: “I have found tranquility, especially for this period of my life, although naturally I will return to Spain frequently“. If he chose to continue to settle in the United Arab Emirates, it is mainly for himself, obviously, but also for the rest of the royal family, splashed by the scandal caused by the various cases to which he was mixed up:I am aware of the consequences for public opinion of past events in my private life and I sincerely regret them.“.
As a reminder, justice had suspected Juan Carlos of having received a commission – 100 million dollars – on the contract for the construction of a railway line linking Mecca and Medina. He had also been suspected of using the credit cards of a Spanish air force officer and a Mexican entrepreneur and of being the alleged owner of a trust on the island of Jersey, considered as a tax haven with regard to the money laundering prevention service.