The path for a return to Spain for King Juan Carlos has become clearer after Spanish authorities said they were shelving their investigations into his finances.
Prosecutors at the Spanish Supreme Court confirmed they were dropping their inquiries on March 2nd 2022, paving the way for the former monarch to come back to Madrid after eighteen months of self imposed exile.
Juan Carlos was under investigation over claims he had had taken a kickback for securing a deal for Spanish firms to build a multi million pound rail project in Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors were also looking into his role in the transfer of millions of euros from an account in Jersey.
However, authorities confirmed they were dropping the inquiries as they were unable to investigate any of his actions before 2014 – during his reign as King of Spain he had immunity from prosecution. Juan Carlos also settled tax bills amounting to almost 5 million euros following his departure from Spain, meaning he could no longer be investigated over claims linked to that money.
Investigations launched in Switzerland have also been dropped. Juan Carlos does still face a legal case from his former lover, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, which is being heard in London over allegations of harassment and surveillance, claims he denies.
Several recent polls for newspapers have found growing support for Juan Carlos to return to Spain. He is understood to be keen to come back but has said he will only do so if his arrival doesn’t harm the monarchy of his son, King Felipe VI.
Juan Carlos became King of Spain in November 1975 on the death of the fascist dictator, Francisco Franco. He was widely credited with helping to turn the nation into a democracy within a few years of his accession. He abdicated in June 2014 in favour of Felipe and went into self imposed exile in Abu Dhabi in August 2020.
