Former President Zapatero appears before the National Court in Plus Ultra case
The former Socialist executive chief denied before the judge that he had intervened in the bailout of the airline with Venezuelan capital. Following his statement, the magistrate has summoned his two daughters as investigated persons.
Former President Zapatero appears before the National Court in Plus Ultra case
The former Socialist government chief appeared on Wednesday before magistrate José Luis Calama of the National Court. The session, which lasted around three hours, is part of the investigation into public subsidies granted to Plus Ultra, an airline company with Venezuelan investors.
During his statement, the former president denied having made any moves to favour the state bailout of the airline. "I exercised the slightest influence," he stated, describing that assertion as "an unquestionable truth." When questioned by the investigating judge, he made clear that he did not speak with "any political authority, official or employee" about the subsidies to the company.
Investigators suspect that the firm Whatthefav, owned by the politician's daughters, may have been used as a front to channel alleged irregular payments in exchange for pressure in favour of Plus Ultra. The extensive report from the UCO that led to the former president's indictment already pointed to these indicators, although the judge chose to hear from Zapatero first before summoning Laura and Alba Rodríguez Espinosa.
The former president admitted his "friendship" link with Julio Martínez, owner of the consulting firm Análisis Relevante, for which he provided services that he described as "professional", comparable to those performed for other firms in the sector. He ruled out that he had been asked to exert influence or that he had done so. "There will be no one who can say otherwise," he concluded.
At a tense moment in the session, the former president replied to the magistrate regarding the work he performed: "We are in territory that I have not prepared myself for. It is not in the ruling."
Source: ABC
Source: ABC