Spain: Former president Zapatero denies all corruption charges in Supreme Court
Spanish former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero denies before the Supreme Court all corruption charges, asserting that he never intervened to secure a state bailout for an airline.
Spain: Former president Zapatero denies all corruption charges in Supreme Court
The former president of the Spanish government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, appeared this Wednesday before the Supreme Court to defend himself against corruption accusations. During his statement, which lasted three and a half hours, he categorically denied all charges against him.
Zapatero, who governed Spain between 2004 and 2011, is the first former head of government in the country to be formally investigated since the return of democracy. He is accused of allegedly directing an illicit network of influence and money laundering, supposedly to benefit third parties through pressure on public administrations.
One of the cases under scrutiny is that of the airline Plus Ultra, which received a bailout of 53 million euros during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The former president asserted that he never intervened to guarantee state aid to any company.
"I am accused of very serious crimes that I did not commit," Zapatero declared in a statement released after the hearing. He added that he had voluntarily presented a general authorisation before the court to demonstrate that he does not own companies or assets outside Spain.
The investigating judge, José Luis Calama, initiated a separate investigation last week into jewellery found during a search at Zapatero's office, provisionally valued at approximately 1.3 million euros. There are currently no documented proofs regarding their origin, although an investigation is underway to determine whether they could be related to tax crimes or smuggling.
According to judicial sources cited by the EFE news agency, when Calama asked Zapatero about the jewellery, the former president exercised his right not to testify, arguing that his defence had not had sufficient time to prepare.
The anti-corruption prosecutor had requested the withdrawal of Zapatero's passport, but Judge Calama refused, considering that the former political leader's public reputation minimised any risk of flight.
Source: Η ΝΑΥΤΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΗ
Source: Naftemporiki