25 Feb 2022; MEMO: A group of Jordanian opposition figures have issued a statement calling on King Abdullah II to "disclose the size of his wealth and the wealth of his wife and family and return looted funds to the state treasury."
The signatories the establishment of the "national rescue committee" and called for an open sit-in on 24 March in the capital, Amman.
According to leaked banking data, details of which were released this week, King Abdullah hoarded hundreds of millions of dollars in at least six different bank accounts in Swiss bank Credit Suisse.
His wife, Queen Rania, opened several accounts during a period of massive unrest in the Middle East following the 2011 popular uprising, which led to leaders being toppled in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and a brutal, protracted war breaking out in Syria. One account held by royals is said to have been worth some $244 million.
The timing of the accounts opening sparked allegations that the king was using the Swiss accounts as an insurance policy in the event of a regime change similar to those seen across the region.
Meanwhile, Jordanians have been saddled with a cost-of-living crisis which has sparked some of the biggest protests seen in years.
