Where's Juan Carlos? This question was speculated about for two weeks. Now the royal family has made public where Spain's ex-king fled to.
- The old king Juan Carlos, involved in bribery affairs, was exiled and is no longer in his home country Spain .
- After media speculation, the royal family has now confirmed his whereabouts.
- Juan Carlos is located in the United Arab Emirates .
Update from August 17th: After two weeks of ignorance and speculation, the exile riddle about the Spanish old king Juan Carlos has been solved. The 82-year-old, who is suspected of corruption , traveled to the United Arab Emirates on August 3 , as the royal family announced on Monday (August 17). He is still there. Neither the Casa Real nor the Spanish government had previously commented on Juan Carlos' whereabouts.
Spain's ex-King Juan Carlos fled into exile in the United Arab Emirates.
© Esteban Felix / AP / dpa
A few days ago, the ABC newspaper, which is well informed about the monarchy, assured in the midst of wild speculation that Juan Carlos had found refuge with befriended sheikhs in Abu Dhabi in the Emirates. He maintains excellent relationships with the Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Nahjan, and initially moved into accommodation in the Emirates Palace, one of the most expensive hotels in the world , according to the newspaper.
Despite the mysterious departure, the Spanish government around Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez assured that the “emeritus king” had not fled the judiciary . Sánchez's second deputy, Pablo Iglesias from the coalition junior partner Unidas Podemos, spoke of an “unworthy escape”. A lawyer for Juan Carlos assured that his client would be available to the Spanish judiciary even after his departure.
Update from August 7, 5:39 p.m.: In the wake of the latest financial scandal in the Spanish royal family, the ex-King Juan Carlos left the country on Monday. For a long time there was speculation about the current whereabouts of the king, but now a newspaper has apparently revealed his escape route (update 3:48 p.m.).
And the key to the evil? Apparently his affair with Corinna Larsen , as reported by the picture. Because Corinna was already involved in the abdication of the Spanish king in 2014. The negative mood after a luxury elephant hunt with her probably brought him to this step. And even now in the financial scandal , his former affair is playing a role again. He is said to have used her as a "straw woman" to move money to different accounts, as Corinna lived in Monaco. So it can be heard on recordings of the investigators. But Corinna herself is said to have been supplied from the black coffers, so the picture.
A safari with Corinna cost him the throne in 2014. And now it is the black coffers, from which Corinna was probably a tad too obviously taken care of, that are forcing the king into exile.
Ex-King Juan Carlos flees to Zoff: The newspaper now wants to know where he is really and publishes the alleged escape route
Update from August 7th, 3:48 p.m.: From Spain via Portugal to the United Arab Emirates - this is probably how ex-King Juan Carlos escaped . The former monarch left his home country this week as he came under increasing pressure over various investigations into suspected corruption .
Now there are deeper insights into the escape route of the 82-year-old. King Felipe's father apparently got on a private jet in Vigo on Monday that came from Paris (see update from 10:39 a.m.) and flew to Abu Dhabi . The machine was a "Global 6500" from Tag Aviation , as reported by bild.de (article behind the payment barrier). The aircraft is said to have space for 17 people and was only presented in May 2018. Lifted from Spain is the former Regent probably around 10:00 in the morning . About seven hours later he lands at the private airport in Abu Dhabi . There Juan Carlos is said to have checked into the luxury hotel Emirates Palace . He is staying in a locked wing for state guests. According to bild.de, the transfer to the opulent accommodation took place by helicopter .
Juan Carlos of Spain: His escape went to Abu Dhabi
Update from August 7th, 10:39 am : In the midst of the latest financial scandal in the Spanish royal family, ex-King Juan Carlos disappeared from his home country. The question of his new whereabouts has not yet been clarified. Now there are indications that the 82-year-old is in Abu Dhabi .
The regent emeritus is said to live there in the Emirates Palace Hotel , as reported by the Spanish newspaper ABC . Juan Carlos flew to the capital of the United Arab Emirates in a private jet on Monday, according to the newspaper. The plane was probably on the way from Paris to the emirate and made a stopover in Vigo for Juan Carlos . Vigo is located in the far north-west of Spain and therefore very close to the Portuguese border. This is where the former monarch probably initially moved. Besides himself, four bodyguards and one other person got on the plane.
Investigations against the former head of state are ongoing in Switzerland and Spain for suspected corruption.
Juan Carlos Spain: Great confusion about the exile of the Old King.
First report from August 6th: Madrid - Vortex in Spain . The departure of the old king Juan Carlos , who is suspected of corruption, caused quite a stir. The 82-year-old has recently moved out of his home country. However, Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo assured him on Wednesday in Oviedo, northern Spain, that he had not fled the judiciary . "He did not flee from anything," the 82-year-old was not a defendant, she said in front of journalists. The Carlos case did not become clearer - on the contrary.
Spain: old king disappeared without a trace - where is Juan Carlos?
In a letter to his son and successor Felipe VI published on Monday evening by the royal family . had told Juan Carlos that he was moving abroad because of the financial affair. He wanted to "facilitate" Felipe's work . The letter also mentions an "agreement". But whether all of this is voluntary is open. According to Spanish media reports, the former head of state had long since left Spain by the time the letter was published .
But where is Juan Carlos now? The exile of the old king was decided jointly by the government and the royal family, it is said. However, the whereabouts of the Bourbon is still unclear. The royal family remained silent on this question. When asked by journalists, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez simply said: "I don't know."
Juan Carlos: Ex-King in exile - hot lead leads to the Caribbean
It is unclear whether the former chairman of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party really does not know or simply does not want to provide any information. The rumor mill was always fueled by Sanchez's statements, and there is currently heavy speculation in the Spanish media. Various newspapers such as El País , the largest daily newspaper in the country, reported that Juan Carlos was in the Dominican Republic . It is said that he stayed with a close friend, the sugar magnate Pepe Fanjul. On Tuesday, the “Sugar King” told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo : “I will open each of my properties to Juan Carlos .” A service of friendship.
You know each other. Juan Carlos (4th from left) and José Fanjul (2nd from right) in the luxury resort in La Romana on the Dominican Republic. Right next to Juan Carlos is President Danilo Medina (4th from right).
© Orlando Barría / dpa / picture alliance
Juan Carlos: Dom. Rep., Portugal, Italy or France - where is the Spanish ex-king?
How long the 82-year-old will stay in the Caribbean country is unclear - as is the statement itself that Juan Carlos is already there. The immigration service of the Dominican Republic announced on Tuesday that the 82-year-old had "not entered the national territory". So the riddle about the ex-king goes into the next round.
The picture (article behind the payment barrier) brings another place into play - Portugal . Juan Carlos is currently said to be in the coastal town of Azeitao near Lisbon . There he stayed with a friend. Accordingly, an onward journey to the Dominican Republic is also conceivable. From Spain it was also said on Tuesday evening that Juan Carlos had been in Portugal , but then flew to the Caribbean .
In some other papers the options Italy and France are also discussed, since relatives of the ex-king would live there. The former Queen Sofia, who has been separated from Juan Carlos for a long time, is also still in Spain , as the AFP news agency learned from royal circles on Tuesday.
Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia on the balcony of the palace. Since her husband's abdication as king in 2014, she has been separated from him.
© AFP / CHRISTOPHE SIMON (archive image)
Juan Carlos: Bribe scandal - the source of all evil
Caribbean or Europe? The Iberians will probably have this issue for a long time to come. While Sánchez praised the behavior of the royal family, his second deputy Pablo Iglesias (Unidas Podemos) spoke of an "unworthy escape". The city of Gijón in northern Spain announced the renaming of Avenida Juan Carlos I, one of the city's most important arteries, because of the scandal. Other municipalities and regions should discuss similar measures.
The scandal is about alleged bribe payments during the construction of a high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia by a Spanish consortium. Juan Carlos is said to have collected 100 million US dollars from the Saudis in 2008 for the mediation. At that time he enjoyed immunity as a monarch, but in connection with the payment he is now suspected of tax evasion and money laundering after his abdication in June 2014. In June the Madrid Supreme Court opened an investigation.
Meanwhile, there is also a stir in another European royal family. Meghan Markle * reaped malice after her withdrawal * - and that on her birthday. (as / dpa) * merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © Esteban Felix
