Where’s Juan Carlos? Spain’s ex-king Juan Carlos ‘flees to Dominican Republic’ amid corruption scandal
- Former monarch, 82, has reportedly fled to the Dominican Republic via Portugal
- Juan Carlos is under investigation over allegations of secret US$100 million payment from Saudi Arabia
Speculation over the whereabouts of former monarch Juan Carlos gripped Spain on Tuesday, a day after he announced he was leaving the country – reportedly fleeing to the Dominican Republic – amid a growing financial scandal.
In a letter published on the royal family’s website on Monday, Juan Carlos told his son King Felipe VI he was moving outside Spain due to the “public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life”.
Juan Carlos is the target of official investigations in Spain and Switzerland, which are looking into possible financial wrongdoing.
Juan Carlos’s bombshell announcement took most Spaniards by surprise. Neither the royal family nor the government disclosed where he was going.
Daily newspaper ABC reported Tuesday that Juan Carlos left Spain on Sunday and flew via Porto, in neighbouring Portugal, to the Dominican Republic. La Vanguardia and El Mundo similarly said he planned to stay with friends in the Caribbean country.
