Spanish judge orders UDEF probe of Zapatero, daughters, secretary FAST-MOVING
Judge José Luis Calama of the Audiencia Nacional authorized the police Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) to investigate the bank accounts of former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, his daughters Alba and Laura, and his secretary Gertrudis Alcázar. The measure is part of the “Plus Ultra” case, which examines alleged influence‑peddling linked to a €53 million pandemic‑era state aid to the airline Plus Ultra. The judge has described Zapatero as the alleged leader of a network that sought economic benefits in exchange for influencing the aid.
UDEF may also examine accounts tied to businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, a close associate of Zapatero, and several companies under scrutiny, such as Análisis Relevante and Inteligencia Prospectiva. The magistrate ordered banks to supply detailed transaction data from 1 January 2020 for dozens of accounts and stipulated that banks must not contact their branches directly.
In addition, the judge noted that Gertrudis Alcázar bought a property in Velilla de San Antonio for €132,055 without a mortgage, paying the amount through periodic transfers between 2021 and 2023, with no compensating income identified.
Entities: Alba Rodríguez · Gertrudis Alcázar · José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero · Julio Martínez Martínez · Laura Rodríguez
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 7 SOURCES] The investigation is part of the Plus Ultra case concerning a €53 million state aid to the airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic. (investigation scope)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Banks were instructed not to contact their branch offices directly for the requested information. (court instruction)
- [● 7 SOURCES] UDEF may also investigate accounts linked to businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, an associate of Zapatero. (investigation scope)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Judge José Luis Calama authorized UDEF to investigate the bank accounts of Zapatero, his daughters Alba and Laura, and his secretary Gertrudis Alcázar. (court order)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The judge ordered banks to provide detailed transaction data from 1 January 2020 for dozens of accounts. (court order)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Gertrudis Alcázar bought a property in Velilla de San Antonio for €132,055 without a mortgage, paying via periodic transfers between 2021 and 2023. (investigation findings)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Judge Calama described Zapatero as the alleged leader of an influence‑peddling network. (judge's assessment)