The judge of the National Court (Audiencia Nacional), José Luis Calama, is not only investigating the €53 million public bailout granted to the airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic, but also an alleged business and financial structure that reportedly operated to influence political decisions, move suspicious funds, and channel payments through shell companies. The combined offenses attributed to the alleged network carry penalties of up to 22 years in prison, not including a potential additional charge of document forgery that could still be formally added to the case.
The most serious offense in the proceedings is criminal organization. The magistrate contends that there was a “stable and hierarchical structure” made up of business owners, intermediaries, and companies acting in coordination to obtain financial benefits through illicit influence and opaque financial operations. The judicial ruling asserts that the alleged organization used shell companies, simulated documentation, and offshore accounts to hide the origin and destination of the funds. According to the court order, the network operated continuously with a perfectly defined division of labor.
The second major criminal block involves money laundering. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office suspects that a portion of the funds under investigation originated from operations linked to corruption in Venezuela, specifically money related to the CLAP (food distribution) programs and gold sales from the Central Bank of Venezuela. According to the complaint, several companies under investigation granted loans to Plus Ultra prior to the bailout, and those credits were repaid immediately after the airline received the €53 million in public funds approved by the Spanish Cabinet (Consejo de Ministros) in March 2021. The Prosecution (Ministerio Público) believes these transactions may have been used to introduce illicit funds into the financial system.
The third offense is influence peddling. The National Court is investigating whether members of the network used political and institutional contacts to facilitate the bailout of Plus Ultra, despite the company’s precarious financial situation. The judge suspects that lobbying efforts were carried out to influence the public bodies responsible for approving the state aid.
The fourth offense under investigation is misappropriation of funds. The Prosecution contends that part of the public funds granted to Plus Ultra may have been used to repay private loans linked to companies under investigation within the network.
In addition to all of this, the judge suspects that some of the contracts, reports, and documentation used by the companies under investigation may have been fabricated solely to provide legal cover for certain suspicious operations. Although this offense—document forgery—is not yet part of the total sentencing calculation, its inclusion would further increase the legal jeopardy for those under investigation.
The investigation took a definitive turn yesterday following the lifting of the court secrecy order (secreto de sumario) and searches conducted by the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) at several companies linked to the case, including one belonging to Zapatero’s daughters—who deny all allegations—and Zapatero’s own professional office in Madrid.
