Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is facing intensified legal scrutiny after investigators reportedly uncovered luxury jewellery valued at €1.2 million during a raid linked to an ongoing corruption investigation.
Spanish authorities are already examining allegations of influence peddling involving the former Socialist leader over a €53 million government bailout granted to airline Plus Ultra during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest discovery has broadened the scope of the investigation.
According to Spanish media reports, investigators recovered an assortment of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings worth an estimated €1.2 million during a search of Zapatero’s office last month.
The collection reportedly consists of gold pieces decorated with sapphires and emeralds sourced from Zambia and Thailand.
The discovery has prompted authorities to investigate whether customs duties and taxes relating to the jewellery were properly paid. Prosecutors are reportedly examining possible offences including tax fraud and smuggling.
Responding to the allegations, Zapatero’s spokesman, Luis Arroyo, said the former prime minister would address the matter through the judicial process.
“He will provide explanations before the judge,” Arroyo stated.
Associates of the former leader have maintained that the jewellery is part of a family inheritance and have dismissed suggestions of any wrongdoing.
Investigators are also continuing to examine claims that Zapatero used his influence to help secure the 2021 bailout package for Plus Ultra and may have received financial benefits in return.
Zapatero has consistently denied the allegations and rejected claims that he received payments connected to the airline rescue package.
The bailout formed part of a programme established by the Spanish government to support strategically important companies affected by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case has emerged as one of Spain’s most politically sensitive corruption investigations, largely because of Zapatero’s continued influence within the Socialist Party and his close ties with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The probe has also increased pressure on Sánchez’s administration, which has faced a series of corruption allegations involving individuals linked to the ruling party.
Last month, police reportedly searched the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid and seized documents as part of a wider anti-corruption investigation.
Authorities also carried out searches at the residences of senior party figures and a prominent businessman connected to the case.
Several individuals close to the government, including members of Sánchez’s family, are also facing legal proceedings, although all those involved have denied any wrongdoing.
Zapatero is expected to appear before a judge later this month as investigators continue their examination of both the jewellery discovery and the Plus Ultra bailout allegations.
