Investigation into Zapatero's daughters over their company in Plus Ultra case
The money laundering case affecting the former Spanish president is expanding to his family circle: the judge has summoned his two daughters and his secretary as investigation subjects over the role of their company Whathefav in the movement of funds.
Investigation into Zapatero's daughters over their company in Plus Ultra case
The judicial investigation into the Plus Ultra scandal has broadened its scope to reach José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's closest circle. The investigating judge, José Luis Calama, has resolved to summon Alba and Laura Rodríguez Espinosa, daughters of the former socialist chief executive, as well as Gertrudis Alcázar, who served as the politician's personal assistant and managed his email, to appear as investigation subjects.
The magistrate's decision is based on the role that Whathefav, the firm run by the two women, is believed to have played within the investigated scheme. For the prosecution team, this company would have acted as an instrument to channel payments, conceal financial movements and facilitate operations linked to the alleged corruption and money laundering network whose primary target is the former president.
During his appearance before investigators, Zapatero denied any connection between the family company and the criminal acts and assured that its activity was limited to the preparation of advisory studies and communication strategies for certain client firms. This explanation, however, was rejected by the anti-corruption prosecutors, who understand that Whathefav operated as a front to funnel funds to the former president.
The conviction of the public prosecution is believed to have been strengthened following the search of the company's premises and the seizure of documentation carried out on 19 May. What has most aroused the suspicions of investigators is the imprecise nature of the invoices issued by Análisis Relevante—an entity in the hands of businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, close to Zapatero—directed to Whathefav, in which the services actually provided were not detailed. According to the investigation's thesis, this vagueness was intended to conceal the fact that behind those payments there was no consideration whatsoever, but merely a transfer of liquidity.
With regard to the secretary of the former head of government, the prosecution considers that Alcázar was part of the structure that operated the illicit network, in a similar position to that of Cristóbal Cano, a subordinate of Martínez Martínez. In intercepted email messages, a sender identified as "Gertru" exchanged information with Cano about the billing of an amount of 20,000 euros, raising the question of whether it would be advisable to split the amount into several receipts and requesting instructions on the headings to be recorded.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca