Spain's former king submits papers to sort out tax affairs: report

Spain's former King Juan Carlos I has submitted a declaration to the Spanish tax office seeking to put his financial situation in order, El Pais newspaper reported on Sunday.

The voluntary declaration was presented by his lawyer with sources telling the paper the move was in connection with an ongoing anti-graft investigation looking into his credit card use.

The legal probe was confirmed last month by Spain's attorney general, at the time they were looking at whether the former king used cards linked to accounts not registered in his name – which could constitute a possible money laundering offense.

They said investigators were looking into funds deposited at several Spanish bank accounts held by a Mexican business and a Spanish Air Force official, and whether they had been accessed by the former monarch.

Prosecutors had sent legal requests abroad to determine whether the monies deposited in the accounts had been hidden from the tax authorities.

If proven, the allegations could constitute a money laundering offense for which he could be prosecuted given that the movement of funds and use of the credit cards occurred after his abdication in June 2014.

A spokesman for the Spanish tax office could not confirm or deny the El Pais report about the voluntary declaration.

The move came four months after the former king fled into self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates. He was already under a separate preliminary Supreme Court investigation linked to a high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia.

Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco and was widely respected for his role in helping guide Spain from dictatorship to democracy.

But his popularity sank in later years due to a series of scandals, prompting him to step down in 2014.

The Ministry of Finance will reply within a few days whether it accepts the former king's request or whether it can be settled by paying a fine, the report said.

(With input from AFP, Reuters)

(Cover: Former Spanish King Juan Carlos leaves after attending the funeral ceremony of Luxembourg's Grand Duke Jean at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg, May 4, 2019. /Reuters)