The former prime minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, rejected accusations of corruption. The case concerns the airline Plus Ultra, which received $61.5 million in state support. At a court hearing on June 17 the politician gave testimony. Meanwhile the investigation continues an active search for his assets, which has now also touched cryptocurrency.
The judge considers Zapatero one of the leaders of an organized group. However, the ex-prime minister himself stated at the hearing that the suspicious funds are legal income. According to him, it was payment for consulting and design services for his daughters' agency.
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Zapatero denies involvement in the aid to Plus Ultra
At the National Court of Madrid the politician gave testimony for three hours. The investigation is being conducted under four serious charges:
- Influence peddling.
- Money laundering.
- Tax fraud.
- Smuggling.
During the hearing Zapatero answered exclusively the questions of the judge and his own lawyer. He completely denied any contacts with officials or the airline's management regarding the financial subsidies. Moreover, according to court sources, the former prime minister first met the current president of Plus Ultra only in 2024. This happened three years after the allocation of state funds.
Recall that the investigation is checking the legality of the $61.5 million transfer in 2021. The airline is linked to Venezuelan businessmen, and the money was distributed through the state enterprise SEPI. The judge claims that Zapatero ordered the creation of an offshore in Dubai to manage this money. According to the outlet infoLibre, the firm was registered just eight days after the aid was approved by the government.
Source: BeInCrypto
