MADRID — Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero stood before a judge in Madrid on Wednesday, answering questions tied to his alleged role in a government airline rescue and jewelry uncovered during a police search of his office.
Wednesday’s court appearance marks the first time Zapatero has faced the National Court judge since being placed under investigation last month. He is accused of possible influence peddling, money laundering, and other financial misconduct connected to the Spanish government’s bailout of Plus Ultra airline.
Zapatero, 65, served as Spain’s prime minister from 2004 to 2011. He had been out of public office for roughly a decade when Plus Ultra received 53 million euros — approximately $61.5 million — in public funds in 2021 drawn from a COVID-19 economic recovery program.
Judge José Luis Calama is also looking into potential tax fraud and contraband charges related to jewelry valued at 1.3 million euros that officers found inside a safe when they searched Zapatero’s office in May.
Zapatero has flatly denied any involvement in wrongdoing related to the airline bailout. As for the jewelry, he has stated that the items were either inherited or given to him as gifts.
Despite the legal troubles, Zapatero continues to hold influence within the Socialist party, which is currently led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. That party has faced a series of corruption scandals over the past two years.
Plus Ultra was an airline focused on routes connecting Spain with South America and had investors based in Venezuela.
Following his departure from office, Zapatero devoted much of his time to maintaining communication with Venezuela’s government, a country that had become largely cut off from Western nations after it moved to suppress its democratic opposition.
Under Spain’s legal system, an investigative judge examines evidence to determine whether suspected crimes warrant a trial. If the evidence is deemed sufficient, the case is forwarded to a separate judge who presides over the trial itself. The entire process can stretch from several months to well over a year.
