Zapatero appears before National Court on influence-trafficking and Saudi jewellery charges
Former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has appeared before judge José Luis Calama of the National Court, accused of leading an influence-trafficking network linked to the rescue of Plus Ultra airline with €53 million in public funds.
Zapatero appears before National Court on influence-trafficking and Saudi jewellery charges
Former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appeared on 17 June before judge José Luis Calama of the National Court, Spain's highest criminal instance, to respond to accusations against him in an investigation into alleged influence trafficking.
The magistrate suspects that the former head of state, who governed Spain between 2004 and 2011, headed an influence-trafficking network in the context of an investigation into the rescue of the micro-airline Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, based in Madrid. The company was saved thanks to a €53 million public loan granted in March 2021.
According to Courrier International, citing La Vanguardia, Zapatero denied having received remuneration related to the Plus Ultra rescue, though his version did not convince the judge. The magistrate adopted no precautionary measures against the former leader, despite the Spanish Anti-Corruption Prosecutors' Office requesting them.
The former head of government defended his innocence but offered no explanation regarding the jewellery valued at €1.3 million found in his office during a search carried out as part of the case. According to people close to the former leader, cited by the Barcelona newspaper, it would be a "gift" from the deceased Saudi king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, intended for Zapatero's wife, Sonsoles Espinosa. The couple, the newspaper adds, were unaware of the true value of the pieces.
These jewels would have been handed over in 2007, when Zapatero was received by the Saudi monarch. The former president promised to "provide a clear explanation on the origin" of the pieces "in the coming days", according to the same source.
Zapatero's legal troubles, until recently considered a benchmark of Spanish social democracy, also affect the current government of president Pedro Sánchez, with whom the former leader maintains a close relationship.
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)