Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who governed the country from 2004 to 2011, is appearing before a High Court judge this Wednesday and Thursday. He was placed under formal investigation last month for alleged influence peddling.
The investigation centers on Zapatero's alleged role in a 2021 government bailout of the small airline Plus Ultra. Addressing the judge on Wednesday, the former prime minister denied the allegations, stating that he never intervened to secure a state bailout on the airline's behalf.
Zapatero is also testifying regarding the possession of valuable jewelry discovered during a police raid at his Ferraz office. The jewelry is valued at over one million euros.