Former PM Zapatero Breaks Silence over Plus Ultra Investigation and Luxury Jewellery
Zapatero said the jewels were a personal gift and denied any attempt at enrichment, disputing an auction house’s €1.3 million estimate.
- On Thursday, former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero defended €1.3 million in seized jewelry as "a personal courtesy gift" received years ago during his first interview on TVE since being placed under investigation.
- Investigating Judge Jose Luis Calama placed Zapatero under formal investigation in May for alleged influence-peddling, centering on whether he helped airline Plus Ultra secure a €53-million bailout in 2021.
- Police discovered the jewelry during an office search, prompting a separate probe into tax fraud and smuggling. Zapatero rejected enrichment claims, stating, "Looking back, I would have probably taken another decision."
- Opposition People's Party spokesperson Ester dismissed the comments Thursday, stating Zapatero "has every right to lie, but he has not answered any of the questions or doubts Spaniards had" about the case.
- The investigation is one of several corruption scandals affecting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, including cases targeting Bego and David, mounting political pressure on the Socialist Party.
62 Articles
62 Articles
The expectation before the interview of former president Zapatero on TVE was maximum and the expectations of the socialists about a brilliant result of it have turned out to be far above reality. The former president has the right to the presumption of innocence, his right to have his private life not appear in the public light and he has the right to each and every constitutional and procedural guarantee that assists any citizen. Zapatero has n…
Spain's ex-PM claims €1.3M jewellery stash was gift from foreign state
Former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, under investigation for corruption, said Thursday that luxury jewellery found by investigators during a search of his office was a gift from a foreign country.
The jewelry and luxury watches were found in a safe in the office of the former Spanish prime minister.
The former head of the Spanish government, who was involved in a case of influence trafficking, said that the jewels discovered in his home were diplomatic gifts. The former Spanish Prime Minister José
Spain's Zapatero says seized jewels worth $1.5 million were a 'courtesy gift'
MADRID, July 23 - Spanish former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Thursday that €1.3 million ($1.5 million) of jewellery seized by police as part of an investigation was a personal gift he received years ago and was never intended for financial gain. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The former government president has broken his silence on TVE following the opening of the investigation into his alleged involvement in an influence trafficking plot related to the Plus Ultra airline.
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