The war between King Emeritus Juan Carlos and the Justice system continues. The Prosecutor’s office sees signs of crimes, Juan Carlos states his right to the presumption of innocence has not been respected. Juan Carlos’s lawyer issued a statement.
According to the newspaper El Mundo, the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office sees signs of crimes. It points out that the emeritus king would have amassed his fortune thanks to the collection of commissions for international business. However, the response of Felipe VI’s father has not been long in coming and has been most forceful.
Juan Carlos issued an official statement through his lawyer Javier Sánchez-Junco. The statement attacks the Prosecutor’s Office, saying it is not respecting the right to the presumption of innocence. In addition, it considers that such accusations by the Prosecutor’s Office “lack the slightest justification.”
Juan Carlos’s statement
Below, we reproduce in full the statement from King Juan Carlos’ lawyer:
Statement from King Juan Carlos © Javier Sánchez-Junco Statement from King Juan Carlos
“In relation to the information published today in a media regarding His Majesty the King D. Juan Carlos, we find it necessary to make the following clarifications:
1. Said information refers, apparently, to a Request for International Judicial Assistance in Criminal Matters, sent to the Swiss authorities almost 7 months ago, in February of this year 2021, by the Investigative Prosecutor of the Investigation Proceedings that are being followed in the Office of the Supreme Court.
2. Said Request for Legal Assistance is not public. Thus, except for the Authorities to whom it is addressed, it should only be made known to the Prosecutor’s Office, whose actions are reserved, without it being known to us that they have been communicated to any party.
3. This communication to the Swiss Authorities contains serious statements and allegations of conduct that are carried out, in our opinion, without any support and are lacking the slightest justification, being contradicted by other facts of which nothing is said.
4. For this reason, such statements clearly violate the principle of presumption of innocence that protects every citizen, and assessments and considerations that seriously harm H.M. King Juan Carlos, who has been under investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office for more than a year.
Javier Sánchez-Junco Mans “
Alleged crimes of Juan Carlos
Prosecutors are investigating King Felipe VI’s father’s bank accounts and tax records. In particular, they are looking into the account where received his annual allowance of €198,845. They also opened an investigation into possible bribes and undeclared earnings.
Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 after 39 years on the throne. His previous good reputation was in tatters following tax avoidance allegations and the discovery of an extra-marital relationship.
King Felipe stripped his father of his allowance in March 2020. Later that year, the king emeritus secretly left Spain.
