In court, former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero faced questions about three transfers totaling €200,000 that he received in 2024 from a Peruvian company, as well as large payments from a Spanish consultancy. The session lasted nearly three hours, with tense exchanges as Judge José Luis Calama demanded details about Zapatero’s work and the source of the funds.
Information from audio recordings cited by EL PAÍS, the judge repeatedly pressed Zapatero to explain what services he provided to relevant analysis, a company owned by his associate Julio Martínez Martínez. Zapatero reportedly received close to half a million euros from the firm. Judge Calama questioned whether Zapatero’s reports justified such impressive payments and sought specifics about the clients involved. Zapatero described his work as general consultancy and said his reports were not tailored to individual clients. The judge interrupted, noting that financial records showed Zapatero as the basic beneficiary. Calama’s pointed remark, “The data trumps the narrative. The one getting paid is you,” made the skepticism in the courtroom plain.
The inquiry also focused on the three transfers Zapatero received in 2024 from Focus Social Research, a Peruvian company established in 2019. Asked about the nature of his consultancy for the firm, Zapatero said only that it was “advisory work,” declined to elaborate and referred the judge to the contract. Judge Calama urged him to give concrete examples of his contributions. These payments are separate from other transactions under investigation involving relevant analysis. El Periódico reported that Venezuelan businessmen associated with Domingo Arnaldo paid €380,000 to the consultancy for work involving Zapatero. Martínez discussed the arrangement during testimony before Calama on 21 July 2026.
Other reported financial flows involving relevant analysis are linked to the state-backed rescue of airline Plus Ultra. El Correo reported that the consultancy stopped invoicing the airline in spring 2021 and that Martínez acknowledged remuneration linked to the €53 million rescue, equivalent to €530,000. Investigators have also examined payments to Whathefav, a company associated with Zapatero’s daughters. Cadena SER reported that Martínez described its work as formatting and distributing generic consultancy reports. Payments of about €3,000 a month continued after the work had stopped. Judge Calama said he did not believe Martínez’s explanation and would investigate both companies “very exhaustively.” Artículo14 reported that payments to Whathefav totaled €203,280. These figures concern matters under examination, not final judicial findings.
Zapatero agreed to answer most questions but refused to discuss some topics, including the discovery of jewelry valued at over €1.3 million in his office, which the judge called “the damned jewels.” Diario ALERTA reported that more than 60 pieces were initially assessed, with specialists from Ansorena valuing them at more than €1.3 million. In a separate evidentiary strand, El Debate reported that a witness alleged the jewelry was an illegal commission linked to contracts for the high-speed rail connection to Saudi Arabia. The witness claimed it represented 2.5% of a contract award. That allegation remains part of the investigation, not an established judicial finding. Zapatero also declined to clarify whether he remains in contact with Julio Martínez Martínez. He said only that he has known him since 2011 and has traveled with him on several occasions, without specifying when they last met.
The inquiry reaches beyond Zapatero’s answers to the commercial relationships among Plus Ultra, relevant analysis, Whathefav and other entities. Mundiario reported that prosecutors and Judge Calama were examining contracts, invoices, bank movements, communications and business relationships to determine whether the transactions reflected genuine consultancy services or routed payments connected to other activity. The case adds to scrutiny of financial dealings involving high-profile political figures in Spain. Consultancy arrangements and payments to former officials have drawn increased attention in recent years as authorities seek greater transparency about services provided and sources of income. Spanish law requires public officials to declare outside earnings and prohibits certain types of post-government employment to prevent conflicts of interest. The investigation’s outcome may influence future rules on political consultancy and financial disclosures for former officeholders.
