Abdullah Second on the "Pandora Papers": The transactions were kept silent for security reasons, no public funds were used

The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, denied today that any crime was committed during the purchase of luxury houses abroad and stated that transactions worth around 100 million dollars were kept quiet for security reasons, and that no public funds were used.

The announcement from the royal palace in Amman came a day after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported that hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers hid their investments in luxury homes, exclusive waterfront properties, yachts for half a century. and other property.

Such data was obtained after reviewing almost 12 million files obtained from 14 companies around the world, the consortium said.

The report was dubbed the "Pandora Papers" because the investigation pointed to the previously hidden actions of the elite and the corrupt and how they used offshore accounts to hide assets worth trillions of dollars.

It revealed, among other things, that advisers helped the Jordanian monarch set up more than three dozen shell companies from 1995 to 2017 that helped him buy 14 homes worth more than $106 million in the US and the UK.

One worth 23 million was purchased in California through the British company Virgin Islands (Virgin Islands), and the advisers were identified as an English accountant in Switzerland and the company's lawyers.

A statement from the royal palace said it was not released due to security and privacy concerns, not to hide it, as claimed in a report by investigative journalists.

"Measures to preserve privacy are crucial for a head of state of His Majesty's position," the statement said, calling the consortium's report "a flagrant violation and threat to His Majesty and the safety of his family."

The published details are an embarrassing blow to King Abdullah II as Jordan's government has faced scandal this year after the king's half-brother, former crown prince Hamza, accused the ruling system of corruption and incompetence.

The king claimed he was the victim of a "malicious conspiracy" and placed his half-brother under house arrest, while two of his former close associates are on trial.