Spanish congress renounce investigating former king for illicit credit cards

The Spanish congress has rejected two petitions from Unidas Podemos and regional parties to investigate the former Spanish king, Juan Carlos I, over illicit credit cards and other claims of financial wrongdoings, for the fifth time this legislature.

The parties, ERC, Grupo Plural, Bildu, JxCAt, CUP, BNG, Més País and Compromís submitted the petition in order to create a commission to look into the monarchy. 

Unidas Podemos’s centered around specifically the illicit credit cards, for which the king repaid 678,000 euros to Spain’s tax office.

Congress justified the vetoing of these proposals by stating the case’s “existing background and the lawyers’ reports.”

More specifically, when renouncing the independence groups’ recommendations, they mentioned that as it was aimed at the monarchy, it was inadmissible due to the indemnity which Juan Carlos I holds being head of state.

“It means treating Spain as an absolute monarchy where having the last name Bourbon seems to be a carte blanche to commit crimes until the end of time.” said Unidas Podemos MP Gerardo Pisarello when describing the case.

He further added that this refusal was equal to “laughing in the face of the Spanish people”.

Juan Carlos I’s scandal ridden reign

The ex-king has been surrounded by scandals for much of the past years, however in the last half of 2020, he further caused turmoil by deciding to leave Spain.

Juan Carlos I has been in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since August 3 – his move happened amid mounting corruption allegations and including a scandal involving alleged secret payments from Saudi Arabia and a bank account in Switzerland.