Key facts
- Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is under investigation for alleged influence peddling.
- The probe has been expanded to include his daughters, Alba and Laura Rodriguez Espinosa, and his secretary, Gertrudis Alcazar.
- The investigation is connected to a €53 million bailout of the airline Plus Ultra in 2021.
- A company run by Zapatero's daughters is suspected of being involved in concealing or facilitating financial operations.
- Police found jewelry and luxury watches worth €1.3 million in Zapatero's office, prompting further investigation into tax fraud and smuggling.
- Zapatero denies all charges, stating he acted with decency and honesty.
A Spanish court has expanded its corruption probe into former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, adding his two daughters and secretary as individuals under investigation. The probe centers on allegations of influence peddling related to a €53 million bailout of the airline Plus Ultra in 2021.
Investigating judge José Luis Calama stated that evidence suggests Zapatero headed a structure that used "opaque financial channels" to conceal money movements and potentially obtain bribes for facilitating the bailout. The judge noted that a company run by Zapatero's daughters, Alba and Laura Rodriguez Espinosa, appears circumstantially linked to the scheme, playing an "instrumental role in the channelling, concealment or facilitation of relevant operations." Police had previously searched the company's offices.
Zapatero's secretary, Gertrudis Alcazar, was also placed under investigation. The former premier, who governed Spain from 2004 to 2011, appeared before Calama for a three-hour hearing, becoming the first former or serving Spanish head of government to testify as a suspect in a corruption inquiry. He maintained his innocence, asserting he acted with "decency and honesty" and denying illicit ownership of companies or funds.
Further complicating matters, police found jewelry and luxury watches valued at €1.3 million in Zapatero's office, leading Calama to investigate additional alleged offenses of tax fraud and smuggling. Zapatero's entourage attributes the hoard to a family inheritance, while Spanish media suggested it was a gift from a former Saudi Arabian king.
The investigation into Zapatero, a significant figure for the Socialist party, occurs as other graft probes involving Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife and former political allies have put pressure on the current government. Political science professor Astrid Barrio noted that the Zapatero investigation imperils the reputation of a "moral beacon" for the Socialists.