FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Over 100 luxury items worth up to 3 million euros were found in the safe of the former socialist prime minister. Investigators suspect corruption, influence peddling and money laundering in a network that stretches from Madrid to Latin America and China.
One hundred and three luxury items, including precious jewelry and collector's watches with a total value of between 2 and 3 million euros. Ruby, emerald and sapphire necklaces, diamond pendants, earrings, bracelets, luxury rings, as well as prestigious Omega and Longines watches.
According to Spanish investigators, this may be just part of the "treasure" of former socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, now at the center of a political and judicial scandal that risks shaking the government of Pedro Sánchez.
According to Spanish media, the investigative file submitted to the court is voluminous, over 4,000 pages, and includes suspicions of influence peddling, bribery, fictitious contracts, and money laundering in collaboration with circles linked to the Venezuelan regime.
Zapatero, who led the Spanish government from 2004 to 2011 and was for years considered a symbol of progressive European reformism, is now accused of possibly being at the head of an illegal network that stretched from Spain to Latin America and as far as China.
According to investigators, the former prime minister has received at least 2.6 million euros over the last five years from companies under investigation or linked to Chinese capital.
Luxury jewelry safe
The Economic and Fiscal Crimes Unit has submitted investigative materials to Judge José Luis Calama, who is leading the investigation known as the "Plus Ultra Case", which is related to the financial rescue of the airline Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas and its suspected links to Venezuela.
In the safe of Zapatero's office, the police found:
41 pairs of earrings,
15 pendants,
11 bracelets,
8 luxury watches,
and about 20 other accessories.
Among the items that have caught the attention of investigators is a large necklace with 14 rubies of very high quality. The origin of the objects remains unclear.
The former prime minister's secretary stated that the safe "belongs to Zapatero's house" and that some of the jewelry was "family heirlooms or travel gifts," public broadcaster RTVE reported.
"Operation Tibet"
Last week, Spanish police launched "Operation Tibet."
Agents arrived in the early hours of the morning at Zapatero's apartment to officially inform him of his status as under investigation in the Plus Ultra case.
At the same time, another team searched his professional office on Ferraz Street in Madrid, where the headquarters of the Socialist Party is also located.
Searches were also carried out at the offices of "Whatthefav SL", the communications agency owned by his daughters Laura and Alba Rodríguez Espinosa.
According to Spanish media, Zapatero may have been ready to leave the country.
"It is possible that the former prime minister was preparing to escape," the Spanish press writes.
According to "El Confidencial", he had bought a plane ticket to Santo Domingo and then planned to continue to Caracas by private plane.
The media describes the trip as a "private movement", not registered on official agendas and organized with urgency.
Investigation into 53 million euros
The origin of the investigation is related to a report by the Spanish Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in October 2024, following alerts from Swiss and French authorities about suspicious money movements from Venezuela.
At the center of the case is the suspected use of 53 million euros of public funds allocated to rescue the airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic.
According to investigators, businessman Julio Martínez, arrested in December 2025, benefited from over 300 thousand euros through the company "Analisis Relevante" from Plus Ultra.
Then, according to the prosecution:
490,780 euros were transferred to Zapatero;
239,755 euros to his daughters' company;
while the payments were allegedly justified with fictitious invoices.
Zapatero's lawyers deny the allegations and insist that this was real consultancy work carried out by the former prime minister and his daughters.
Relations with Venezuela and China
Investigators are also following the trail of the company "Inteligencia Prospectiva", created in 2020 by two Venezuelan brothers.
According to the investigative file, the company transferred around 1 million euros to Zapatero's daughter's company, the company "Analisis Relevante" and the think tank "Gate Center", run by the former socialist prime minister himself.
The Economic Crimes Unit suspects that the company had ties to the Communist Party and Chinese entrepreneurs.
According to investigators, Zapatero, who was officially engaged in political mediation for the democratic transition in Venezuela, may have actually acted as a mediator for negotiations on the sale and purchase of Venezuelan oil.
Sánchez defends Zapatero
Despite the scandal, current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez continues to defend his Socialist predecessor.
During his visit to Rome, Sánchez told reporters that he felt "calm".
However, according to Spanish media, tension is growing within the progressive camp and between the nationalist parties that support Sánchez's fragile government.
The scandal is considered one of the most serious political blows to the Spanish Socialists in recent years and risks opening a new political crisis in Spain./ Pamphlet
Keta nuk jane asgje krahasuar me vjedhjet dhe pasurite qe ka rama. Jane bebe ne krahasim me te
Sillini i her knej ka Shqipnia kto hetuesit Spanjoll që të kuptojn ça ësht vjedhja dhe korrupsioni . Ato 2.6 milion € që ka mor ai për 5 vjet të jeni të sigurt që nuk do i hyjnë në sy hiç në krahasim me gjonat që do zbulojn ktej nga mjeshtrrat e korrupsioni e anti kombëtarët më të mëdhenj të historisë Botërore. 25 milion € për Km rruge se besoj se do e gjejn me naj ven në botë. Lejeni të shkretin rehat se ësht fukara me e fut në parlamentin tonë
Po Berishovici ....