José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero faces charges of influence peddling and money laundering tied to a 53 million euro state rescue of Plus Ultra airline.
4:07 PM
Spain's National Court has charged former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero with influence peddling and money laundering in connection with a state bailout of Plus Ultra airline, marking the first time a former Spanish head of government has faced corruption charges in democracy.
Judge José Luis Calama issued the charges against Zapatero on Tuesday in an investigation examining whether 53 million euros in public rescue funds provided to the airline following the pandemic were used to launder money linked to Venezuelan corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office suspects the bailout money served to repay earlier loans made by companies connected to an international money-laundering network. The investigation has been conducted under judicial secrecy for months before the charges became public.
Among those under investigation are Plus Ultra executives, businesspeople linked to the financial scheme, and individuals in Zapatero's close circle, including businessman Julito Martínez.
Zapatero responded to the charges by releasing a video statement in which he asserted that all his public and private activities have been conducted with "absolute respect for legality." He reiterated his denial of having made any efforts on behalf of the airline rescue, stating "never" when addressing the allegation.
In the video, Zapatero stated that his private activity and income from remuneration have been declared through income tax filings "with absolute transparency and legality." He emphasized that he wanted to reaffirm his commitment to lawful conduct throughout his career.
The National Court has summoned Zapatero to appear as an investigated party in the case, which also examines charges related to criminal organization in addition to influence peddling. The investigation centers on whether opaque funds originating from Venezuela were connected to the airline rescue decision.
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