The Spanish Supreme Court said on Monday that it has dismissed a complaint filed against the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, by a group of retired judges and prominent public figures, who had accused him of committing tax offences.
Back in March 2022, Spanish prosecutors closed three separate investigations into Juan Carlos’s financial dealings, citing a lack of sufficient evidence and the expiration of legal time limits. However, they did note the discovery of multiple irregularities. ALSO READ: Spain’s prosecutors drop investigations into finances of former king Juan Carlos.
These irregularities included high-value gifts from Gulf Arab monarchies and personal travel financed by a Liechtenstein-based foundation.
In November 2024, a coalition of former judges, legal scholars, philosophers and journalists initiated legal action against the former monarch, alleging tax violations. They argued that a court – not just prosecutors – should determine whether Juan Carlos had met his tax responsibilities. ALSO READ: Retired Spanish judges claim ex-king Juan Carlos should ‘face trial for alleged tax crimes’.
However, the Supreme Court has now rejected the case, stating that it ‘does not provide any new facts, evidence or documents that would justify reopening the investigation’ into his financial conduct.
The 87-year-old disgraced former king made two payments to Spanish tax authorities totalling over five million euros to cover previously undeclared income, a move widely interpreted as an effort to avoid prosecution. ALSO READ: Former king Juan Carlos ‘pays €678k to tax office’ to avoid further action.
Juan Carlos was once celebrated for guiding Spain’s transition to democracy after dictator Franco’s death in 1975.
Nonetheless, the exposure of questionable sources of his wealth since his abdication in 2014 has significantly tarnished his image and dealt a blow to the credibility of Spain’s monarchy.
Since relocating to the United Arab Emirates in 2020, Juan Carlos has occasionally returned to Spain, particularly to participate in sailing events in Galicia, starting in 2022.
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ALSO READ: Spain’s disgraced former king Juan Carlos to sue ex-lover for defamation.
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