JERUSALEM (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II was meeting with the World Bank president, asking for more financial support for his country’s battered economy, just around the time the news broke: A trove of leaked documents revealed the king had secretly bought more than a dozen luxury homes in the United States and Britain for over US$100 million in the past decade.

Abdullah was only one of scores of public figures identified as holders of hidden offshore accounts. But perhaps nowhere was there a more evident contradiction between the public man and the private one – for the king has carefully cultivated an image as a caring father of a struggling nation – as it turns out he has amassed a private empire of luxury real estate.

“Nobody’s going to turn a blind eye to this,” said Dave Harden, a former senior official at the US Agency for International Development who is now running for Congress as a Democrat in Maryland. He said even a perception of misspending could lead to calls for greater oversight of future American assistance to Jordan.

Abdullah was on a long list of world leaders, politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers who have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront properties, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a report Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

The report, based on a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 firms around the world, was dubbed the Pandora Papers. There were no allegations of illegal activity or misuse of international aid money.

Still, the report came at a delicate time for Abdullah. The country’s economy has struggled in recent years, and his leadership came under scrutiny earlier this year when his half-brother accused the “ruling class” of corruption. Seen by the West as a force of moderation and stability in the volatile Middle East, Abdullah relies on billions of dollars in international aid — a flow that could be disrupted if donors believe their assistance is being squandered.

Abdullah angrily denied any wrongdoing, saying the homes had been kept secret because of security concerns and were purchased with personal funds.

“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”.

In the short term, Abdullah does not appear to face any threat at home. When his half-brother, Crown Prince Hamzah, levelled his accusations of corruption and incompetence last April, he was quickly placed under house arrest.

Hamzah has been seen in public just once since then and remains incommunicado. Two former top aides, meanwhile, have been sentenced to 15-year prison terms for incitement and sedition over their roles in an alleged plot with Hamzah.

In an apparent sign of concern, the Jordanian media, most of which is directly or indirectly controlled by the palace, made no mention of the Pandora Papers affair. Even independent Jordanian media outlets engage in self-censorship, avoid criticism of the royal family and security forces.

Jordan’s economy has fallen onto hard times over the past decade, hit by an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war in neighbouring Syria and, more recently, by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to the World Bank, Jordan’s economy contracted slightly last year while unemployment spiked to 25 per cent. The country of 10 million is divided between a small middle and upper class with close ties to the Government, and impoverished masses living in city slums, outlying villages and refugee camps.

“When anyone lives in hardship, difficult conditions and extreme poverty, it is difficult to see their rulers living in prosperous conditions,” said Maisara Malas, a union activist who has joined anti-Government protests seeking lower taxes and an end to corruption.

Abdullah, who took power in 1999 after the death of his father, King Hussein, has sought to straddle these worlds by portraying himself as father figure.

He is careful not to flaunt his wealth. Though he spends lengthy periods overseas, he does so quietly, often at undisclosed locations.

“There is a campaign against Jordan, and there are still those who want to sabotage and build suspicions,” Abdullah said. “There is nothing to hide.”