Spain's Supreme Court on April 15 said it had searched the Madrid office of former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and three other locations, while summoning him to testify on June 2 over suspected corruption in the bailout of Plus Ultra airline.
According to the court, the investigation focuses on the 53 million euro ($62 million) bailout granted by the Spanish government to Plus Ultra through state-owned company SEPI during the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Prime Minister Zapatero is accused of pushing for the airline's rescue and pressuring the Ministry of Transport, then headed by Jose Luis Abalos, to approve the aid package.
The case escalated in late December last year after several arrests, including businessman Julio Martinez Martinez, known as Julito, who is said to hold the key to clarifying the link between Plus Ultra and Zapatero. Suspicion also centers on Julito's company Analisis Relevante, which allegedly received the same sum that Plus Ultra later paid to Zapatero. Spanish businessman Victor de Aldama, involved in other corruption probes, has accused Zapatero of receiving 10 million euros ($12 million) in commissions.
The Plus Ultra bailout sparked major political controversy, with questions raised about the airline's financial viability and its ownership ties to Venezuelan businessmen close to then-President Nicolas Maduro, fueling concerns over transparency and political interference.
Speaking to El Pais, President of the Andalusia regional government Juanma Moreno said: 'There has never been a serious investigation process, at least a prosecution of a former prime minister. This is unprecedented and will shake the government.'
The opposition People's Party (PP) has immediately used the case to ramp up attacks on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which Zapatero once led and remains a prominent member. The Sanchez government is also facing several separate corruption investigations involving close figures, as well as probes into his wife and brother.
Zapatero, who led Spain from 2004 to 2011, has long been a close ally of Prime Minister Sanchez and faced opposition criticism over his business and political ties with Venezuela after leaving office. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing when appearing before a parliamentary committee.
