A lawsuit has been filed by a group of retired judges against Spain’s former king, Juan Carlos, who is accused of tax offenses, one of the complainants revealed on Monday.
The case comes despite Spanish prosecutors having closed investigations into the 86-year-old monarch’s finances in March 2022.
Prosecutors had cited insufficient evidence and the expiration of legal time limits, though they acknowledged uncovering irregularities, including lavish gifts from Gulf monarchies and private trips funded by a Liechtenstein-based foundation.
The complainants argue that a court, rather than public prosecutors, should determine whether Juan Carlos met his tax obligations.
Former Spanish Supreme Court judge José Antonio Martín Pallín, one of the plaintiffs, claimed the former king’s tax declarations between 2014 and 2018 were not legally compliant.
Juan Carlos has paid more than €5 million to Spanish tax authorities in two separate payments to address unpaid taxes on previously undeclared income. These actions have been widely interpreted as attempts to avoid criminal charges.
Speaking to public broadcaster TVE, Martín Pallín said, “We do not have the slightest interest in prison sentences being applied,” but stressed that the maximum financial penalty should be imposed if wrongdoing is confirmed.
The group of complainants also includes legal experts, philosophers, and journalists, though the exact number has not been disclosed.
Juan Carlos was once celebrated for his role in steering Spain towards democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. However, revelations about the questionable origins of his wealth have severely damaged his reputation since his abdication in 2014.
In the thick of growing scrutiny in 2020, Juan Carlos left Spain and has been living in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates. The scandal has not only tainted his legacy but also cast a shadow over the Spanish monarchy.
