FILE – Jordan’s King Abdullah II speaks during a media conference prior to a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters in Brussels, in this Wednesday, May 5, 2021, file photo. Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been stashing away their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 different firms located around the world. The report released Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries. Jordan’s King Abdullah II is one of 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts. (Johanna Geron, Pool via AP, File)
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II denied Monday any impropriety in his purchase of luxury homes abroad, seeking to contain a budding scandal over reports of lavish spending at a time when his country is mired in recession and coping with soaring unemployment.
The purchases reportedly worth more than $100 million became public Sunday, when the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported that hundreds of world leaders, politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century.
Abdullah, whose popularity took a hit earlier this year when his half-brother accused the country’s leadership of corruption, said he kept quiet about the transactions because of security concerns. He also said no public funds were used.
Beyond possible domestic repercussions, the report threatened to affect Jordan’s critical relationship with the international community. Jordan, seen as a stable, pro-Western bulwark in a volatile region, relies on billions of dollars of international aid.
“Any allegations that link these private properties to public funds or assistance are baseless and deliberate attempts to distort facts,” a statement from the Royal Hashemite Court said Monday.
It called any such suggestions “defamatory and designed to target Jordan’s reputation as well as his majesty’s credibility.”
But in a sign the palace was concerned by the report of the purchases, Jordanian media, much of which is directly or indirectly controlled by the palace, made no mention of it. Even independent Jordanian media outlets engage in self-censorship, avoiding criticism of the king, the royal family and the security forces.
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II denied Monday any impropriety in his purchase of luxury homes abroad, seeking to contain a budding scandal over reports of lavish spending at a time when his country is mired in recession and coping with soaring unemployment.
The purchases reportedly worth more than $100 million became public Sunday, when the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported that hundreds of world leaders, politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century.
Abdullah, whose popularity took a hit earlier this year when his half-brother accused the country’s leadership of corruption, said he kept quiet about the transactions because of security concerns. He also said no public funds were used.
Beyond possible domestic repercussions, the report threatened to affect Jordan’s critical relationship with the international community. Jordan, seen as a stable, pro-Western bulwark in a volatile region, relies on billions of dollars of international aid.
“Any allegations that link these private properties to public funds or assistance are baseless and deliberate attempts to distort facts,” a statement from the Royal Hashemite Court said Monday.
It called any such suggestions “defamatory and designed to target Jordan’s reputation as well as his majesty’s credibility.”
But in a sign the palace was concerned by the report of the purchases, Jordanian media, much of which is directly or indirectly controlled by the palace, made no mention of it. Even independent Jordanian media outlets engage in self-censorship, avoiding criticism of the king, the royal family and the security forces.
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