Tax authorities join investigation into high-value jewellery found in Zapatero's office
The State's legal services are processing their appearance in the case examining the provenance of jewellery pieces valued at more than one million euros.
Tax authorities join investigation into high-value jewellery found in Zapatero's office
The lawyers of the State tax authority began processing their steps on Thursday to join as a party in the judicial procedure investigating the provenance of a set of precious objects discovered in the professional headquarters of the former head of government.
The separate proceeding, opened by the National Court, examines whether the facts fit into criminal offences of smuggling and tax fraud against the public treasury. The instructing magistrate considers that the State could have suffered direct patrimonial damage, which authorises the Tax Agency to exercise both criminal and civil actions.
This branch stems from a broader investigation that already links the Socialist politician to an alleged network of influence peddling and money laundering. The discovery of the jewellery in a safe deposit box of the building on Ferraz street—headquarters of his professional activities—led the court to open a specific line of investigation into the origin and tax treatment of these assets.
To determine their value, an appraisal was commissioned from a Madrid jewellery house and a state gemological centre. The result yielded a figure exceeding 1.3 million euros. Among the pieces, a necklace valued at almost 280,000 euros stands out.
The substantial sum necessitates clarifying how these objects reached the office and whether the corresponding taxes were paid. During his appearance on 17 June, the person under investigation attempted to postpone his statement on this matter. Faced with the court's refusal, he chose to remain silent, claiming that he needed to locate papers that would prove that these were gifts received during a visit by Saudi Arabian authorities to Spain in 2007.
Two weeks later, the defence has provided no documentation to support that version. The personal assistant of the former leader, Gertrudis Alcázar, indicated to UDEF agents that the pieces came from the couple's private residence.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)