Former Spanish PM Zapatero challenges UDEF bank probe

Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has asked the Audiencia Nacional to limit the scope of the police’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) investigation into his and his relatives’ bank accounts. His lawyers argue that the judge’s order allowing UDEF to “expand the information that is deemed pertinent” amounts to a “blank‑cheque” that infringes fundamental rights to privacy and data protection, and they request that any further data collection require prior judicial authorization.

The same investigation also covers the Plus Ultra airline, which is under scrutiny for alleged influence‑peddling and money‑laundering linked to a 2021 state rescue. A judge has ordered an exhaustive report on the airline’s ownership changes since 2017, when Venezuelan capital entered the company, and has tasked UDEF with analysing the evolution of its shareholding structure. The case involves accusations of influence‑peddling, organized crime, and possible money‑laundering involving Zapatero and business associates.