Spanish Court Opens Separate Probe Into Jewellery Seized in Former PM Zapatero Corruption Case

MADRID: A Spanish High Court judge investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over suspected corruption has opened a separate inquiry into jewellery discovered during a search of his office, according to a court statement released on Friday.

The additional probe follows a May 19 search in which investigators reportedly seized jewellery items provisionally valued at around €1.3 million ($1.5 million). The court said the items currently lack documented proof of origin.

Investigating judge José Luis Calama stated that the possession of high-value assets without clear fiscal traceability could suggest possible offences such as tax evasion or smuggling. He noted that there were no accompanying customs declarations or evidence that import duties had been paid.

Zapatero, who served as Spain’s prime minister from 2004 to 2011 and remains a prominent figure in the ruling Socialist Party, has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The corruption claims have added further political pressure amid a series of graft scandals affecting the government.

His lawyer did not immediately respond to media requests for comment, while his spokesperson Luis Arroyo said in a post on X that Zapatero would address the jewellery issue before the court.

The former prime minister is scheduled to testify on June 17 and 18 in a broader corruption case involving allegations of an influence-peddling and money-laundering network. The investigation claims the network profited from lobbying public authorities on behalf of third parties, including Spanish airline Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, which received a state bailout in 2021.

The case continues to develop as Spain’s judiciary expands scrutiny into alleged high-level corruption networks involving political and corporate actors.