The Spanish court opens a new investigation of Zapatero on the amount of 1.3 million euros of jewels

MADRID – Pressure on former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is mounting after Spain’s top criminal court opened a separate investigation against him for suspected smuggling and tax fraud on Friday.

The new line of inquiry centers on more than 100 items of jewelery police agents found last month during a raid on Zapatero’s private office, worth more than 1.3 million euros, according to the court statement.

Judge Jose Luis Calama claimed that the legal origin of the jewels was “not currently justified”. Their possession, combined with the lack of tax documentation related to their purchase, constitutes “objective and reasonable evidence of the possible existence of significant tax fraud.”

He also found grounds to investigate possible smuggling offences, noting that goods may have entered the EU “bypassing necessary controls and tax obligations”.

In May, Calama DESIGNATED a landmark criminal investigation into the former prime minister, who ruled Spain between 2004 and 2011, for his alleged key role in an influence-peddling and money-laundering ring. The case relates, among other allegations, to the multimillion-euro bailout of Plus Ultra, a Spanish airline with ties to Venezuela.

At the time, the judge ordered police agents to raid premises linked to Zapatero, including his office in Madrid, where the jewels were found in a safe.

Photos of visible jewelry were widespread circulated in the national press, causing a huge scandal. Zapatero, through a spokesman, evaluated the value of the jewels was between €30,000 and €50,000, while people close to him said they had a legitimate origin in gifts and family heirlooms.

After the revelation of the new investigation, Zapatero’s official spokesman, Luis Arroyo, apologized on Friday for “deceiving the public” about the added value of the jewelry and said Zapatero “will give explanations before the judge.”

Accusations of corruption against the former socialist leader have sent shock waves through the ruling Socialist Workers’ Party.

Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, has repeatedly defended the innocence of the man widely regarded as his mentor. Zapatero has denied any wrongdoing and has been called to testify on June 17-18.

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