Amman: Jordan’s Royal Hashemite Court on Monday rejected media reports about overseas properties owned by King Abdullah II, saying they “included inaccuracies and distorted and exaggerated the facts.”
A statement published by the court said it is no secret that King Abdullah owns some apartments and residences in the United States and Britain, while this is neither unusual nor improper.
“Any allegations that link these private properties to public funds or assistance are baseless and deliberate attempts to distort the facts,” the statement said, stressing that such allegations are “defamatory and designed to target Jordan’s reputation as well as the king’s credibility and the critical role he plays regionally and internationally.”
The king uses these properties during official visits and hosts officials and foreign dignitaries there, according to the statement.
The king and his family members also stay in some of these properties during private visits, it added, emphasizing that the cost of these properties and all related expenditures have been personally funded by the king.
“None of these expenses has been funded by the state budget or treasury,” it added, stressing that the properties are not publicized out of security and privacy concerns. The court also slammed the media outlets for revealing the location of these properties.