National police agents gather confiscated files and material into a vehicle of the Spanish Central Operative Unit during a police raid at the office of former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid on Tuesday. Photo by Rodrigo Jimenez/EPA
May 20 (UPI) — Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has been placed under criminal investigation on accusations he was improperly involved in the bailout of a Venezuelan airline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Spanish National High Court announced the investigation Tuesday, accusing Zapatero of receiving kickbacks of up to $2.4 million for influencing Spanish leaders to award the bailout to the airline, The New York Times reported. Zapatero served as prime minister from 2004 until 2011 and his alleged wrongdoing took place about a decade after he left office.
While multiple former prime ministers have been questioned in corruption cases in the past, this is the first time one has been named in a criminal investigation, The Guardian reported.
Zapatero issued a video statement denying the allegations.
“All my public and private actions have always been carried out in full compliance with the law,” he said.
The airline in question, Plus Ultra, had not released a comment as of Wednesday afternoon, the Times reported.
Conservative leaders hit out at Zapatero, a liberal, in response to the investigation. It’s brought negative attention to current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, an ally of Zapatero.
“The racket is collapsing, and the kingpins of the plot are starting to fall,” said Miguel Ángel Tellado, the parliamentary spokesman for the Popular Party. “We are not just talking about the former prime minister, but about Sánchez’s main adviser.”
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