Laurence Dollimore
A GUARDIA Civil officer who acted as an armed body guard for the Saudi royal family has been suspended from the force.
The Supreme Court this month upheld a ruling which declared the unnamed agent did not have permission to act as personal security for the Bin Turki family – which was previously reported to be worth more than $1billion.
According to court documents, obtained by El Periodico, the officer watched over members of the family while they shopped at exclusive stores in Puerto Banus and Marbella in the summer of 2021.
He did have permission to act as a chauffer, but overstepped the mark by acting as their private security while carrying a pistol, the court ruled.
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It has not been revealed how much the agent was paid for his work, but he had been acting as a part-time chauffer since joining the force in March 2017.
The officer was rumbled after being spotted by Policia Nacional agents escorting the Saudi family inside a shopping centre, where he admitted he was carrying a private gun.
Witnesses told investigators that they never saw the officer in question driving the range of high luxury cars belonging to the Saudis, adding that he was always in the passenger seat.
That was despite his contract with the family being strictly for chauffer services.
The witnesses also told police how he acted as a bodyguard by remaining at the family’s side and never interacting with them, while always being on the lookout.
The case made it to the supreme court because the officer appealed the ruling, but his arguments were rejected by judges on February 7.
