Spain's former PM Zapatero faces questioning by judge in corruption probe

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MADRID (AP) — Spain's former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is appearing before a judge in Madrid on Wednesday in connection to his alleged role in a government airline bailout and links to jewelry discovered in a police raid on his office.

It is Zapatero’s first appearance before the National Court judge since he was placed under investigation last month for alleged influence peddling, money laundering and other possible financial wrongdoing in connection with the Spanish government’s rescue of the Plus Ultra airline.

Zapatero, 65, who was prime minister from 2004 to 2011, had been out of public office for a decade when Plus Ultra received 53 million euros ($61.5 million) in public money in 2021 from a COVID-19 recovery fund.

Judge José Luis Calama is also examining a possible case of tax fraud and dealing in contraband related to jewelry worth 1.3 million-euros discovered in a safe by police during a search of Zapatero’s office in May.

Zapatero has denied any wrongdoing in the airline case and has said that the jewelry was inherited or received as gifts.

Zapatero remains an important figure for the Socialist party headed by current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose party has been rocked by corruption scandals over the past two years.

Plus Ultra, which had investors from Venezuela, was an airline specializing in flights between Spain and South America.

Since leaving office, Zapatero has focused a large part of his activity on maintaining dialogue with the government in Venezuela, which was largely isolated from Western countries after it cracked down on the democratic opposition.

In Spain, an investigative judge probes suspicions of a crime and can recommend a case go to trial if there is sufficient evidence. A different judge then oversees the trial phase. The whole process can takes months or longer.