Court uncovers €1.2 million transfers from loss-making firm to Zapatero’s daughters. Inteligencia Prospectiva transferred over €500,000 to the company owned by Zapatero’s daughters. The court considers the firm an instrument for bringing funds from abroad. The case involves connections with Venezuela and large financial flows.
In Madrid, the court and police are investigating the activities of Inteligencia Prospectiva SL, believed to be a key link in a scheme to bring large sums into Spain. According to investigators, the company, which showed minimal activity and had only one employee, transferred more than €1.2 million over five years to accounts belonging to companies linked to former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his associates. Among the recipients is Whathefav SL, owned by the daughters of the former head of government, which received €561,440.
In his ruling, National Court judge José Luis Calama points out that Inteligencia Prospectiva did not engage in real commercial activity: over five years, its revenues did not exceed €35,000, while losses reached €850,000. These losses were covered by regular capital increases totaling almost €700,000, which, according to investigators, may have been a way to legalize funds coming from abroad.
Other transfers also drew investigators' attention: €380,208 went to Análisis Relevante, controlled by a close friend of Zapatero, and €266,200 to the think tank Gate Center, where the former prime minister himself is chairman of the board. Tax authorities note that such large transactions do not correspond with the company's zero turnover in 2020–2021 and extremely low figures in the following years. The firm also did not request a VAT refund, despite significant expenses and a negative balance.
The court believes that the contracts between Inteligencia Prospectiva and related entities were formal in nature and did not reflect actual services rendered. The ruling states that the company was used as a channel for introducing and distributing funds, and that the ultimate beneficiaries may have been Zapatero and his family. Among the company's administrators are brothers Domingo Arnaldo and Guillermo Alfredo Amaro Chacón, who, according to the investigation, maintain ties with the Venezuelan leadership and participate in international deals, including oil transactions.
As part of the investigation, police searched the company's office on Paseo de La Habana, seizing accounting records, electronic devices, and internal correspondence. The investigation is also examining communications indicating that the Amaro Chacón brothers were involved in negotiations over oil shipments between Venezuela and China, where Zapatero is believed to have played a significant role. The court's ruling emphasizes that the administrators' actions go beyond normal business operations and touch on matters of national importance.
The Inteligencia Prospectiva case is linked to a broader scheme under investigation in the Plus Ultra case. As previously reported in the article on state support for the airline Plus Ultra and its ties to Venezuela, the main focus was on large fund transfers and the involvement of former high-ranking officials. The new details emphasize the complexity of financial flows and the role of shell companies in distributing funds.
For reference: The National Court is Spain’s highest court for corruption and financial crime cases. UDEF (Unidad de Delincuencia Económica y Fiscal) is a division of the national police specializing in financial crime investigations. Gate Center presents itself as a non-profit think tank, while Análisis Relevante is positioned as a consulting firm. In recent years, there has been increased scrutiny in Spain of money laundering schemes involving small companies and fictitious contracts, particularly with the participation of foreign capital.
