In a scandal involving suspected bribes from a Spanish consortium for the construction of a high-speed rail link in Saudi Arabia, the highest court in Madrid has launched an investigation into ex-King Juan Carlos.
The investigation is about „delimiting or excluding the criminal relevance of the acts“, which took place after Juan Carlos’s abdication in June 2014, the prosecutor said at the Supreme Court today.
The authorities responsible for corruption and economic offenses have been investigating the „Desert Train Affair“ since 2018. In 2008, Juan Carlos is said to have received $ 100 million in bribe money from Saudi Arabia.
The line was inaugurated in 2018
The high-speed line between Mecca and Medina, built by several Spanish companies, was inaugurated in October 2018. The “Al-Haramain” express train takes around two hours to cover the 450 kilometers.
For the four decades that he was king and head of state of Spain (November 22, 1975 to June 14, 2014), Juan Carlos enjoyed immunity. After renouncing the throne in favor of his son Felipe VI. the 82-year-old still has special rights, but he can be cited by the Supreme Court on the dock. Although the alleged bribe payment was made in 2008, Juan Carlos could be accused of money laundering after 2014 in connection with the scandal.
