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Ex-Spanish king confirmed to be in UAE amid financial probe

Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain who went into exile in the face of corruption allegations earlier this month, is in the United Arab Emirates, the royal palace said Monday. The 82-year-old "travelled to the United Arab Emirates on August 3 and he remains there," a spokesman for the royal palace said.

Published August 17,2020
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Spain's royal household says former monarch Juan Carlos is in the United Arab Emirates, resolving a mystery over his whereabouts that has swirled in Spain since he announced he was leaving the country amid a growing financial scandal.

"His Majesty Juan Carlos has indicated to this household to communicate that he traveled to United Arab Emirates on Aug. 3 and that's where he currently remains," a spokesman of the royal household told The Associated Press. The spokesman said he couldn't be quoted in media reports.

In a letter published on the royal family's website on Aug. 3, 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, 82, is the target of official investigations in Spain and Switzerland, into possible financial wrongdoing.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, have not responded to repeated questions regarding Juan Carlos' stay in the country.