Pandora Comes At Sensitive Time For Jordan's Monarch

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has said claims he used offshore accounts to disguise a £70m hidden property empire were “defamatory and designed to target Jordan’s reputation” as the monarch faces mounting scrutiny for lavish spending while also asking foreign aid to pull his cash-strapped country out of a recession.

- Bel Trew

The damning reports, released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, claim the king used a network of secretly owned firms to spend more than $100m (£70m) on property in the UK and US, including houses in Malibu as well as luxury apartments in Washington DC, central London and Ascot.

The revelations – part of the so-called Pandora papers – come at a tricky time. They were made public on Sunday as King Abdullah was in a meeting with the head of the World Bank where they discussed further assistance to the beleaguered country which is struggling to deal with a massive refugee crisis and soaring unemployment.

It also comes as King Abdullah’s popularity had taken a hit after his half-brother accused the country’s leadership of corruption.

Jordan has long been heralded as a vital partner for the west in the Middle East and an island of stability in a region that is often blighted by conflict and unrest. It has received substantial foreign aid from countries like the UK and the US but in recent years has been the target of a boisterous protest movement because of a worsening economic crisis.

King Abdullah denied any impropriety, saying he kept quiet about the transactions because of security concerns. The statement also repeatedly denied public finances and international assistance were used and said publishing his real estate portfolio was a “flagrant security breach and a threat to His Majesty’s and his family’s safety”.