Businessman Julio Martínez Martínez reaffirmed before Judge José Luis Calama that José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero played a central role in the steps leading to Plus Ultra's €53 million government bailout after the pandemic. During a lengthy session at the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid, Martínez Martínez said the former prime minister directed efforts to secure state support for the airline. He could not specify which individuals Zapatero contacted to expedite the process.
The hearing lasted more than three hours. Judge Calama questioned Martínez Martínez for over an hour, then heard questions from the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office. Accompanied by his lawyer, María Dolores Márquez de Prado, Martínez Martínez arrived at the court early Tuesday morning, ready to confirm the contents of the written statement he had submitted the previous day. In that document, he directly implicated Zapatero and said he was willing to help clarify the facts surrounding the controversial rescue.
Information from accounts of the hearing, Martínez Martínez said information about Plus Ultra's financing needs was passed to Zapatero, and that he relayed relevant information to the airline. “When we began dealing with the application for that financing and loan, I always passed on to President Zapatero the things I was told and the things that were impressive,” he said, according to his reported testimony. He also said he did not know which government contacts were involved in the decision-making process. The judge asked about the chain of communication and how the bailout was facilitated.
The €53 million rescue came through the Fondo de Ayuda a la Solvencia de Empresas Estratégicas, administered by the state holding company SEPI. The Council of Ministers authorized the financing on 9 March 2021. In testimony about payments linked to the rescue, Martínez Martínez reportedly acknowledged receiving money but said he did not know what specific steps had been taken at SEPI. Companies associated with Plus Ultra reportedly paid him more than €530,000, approximately 1% of the bailout. He reportedly said he agreed to the payment “in doubt.” Its legal significance remains under investigation.
Reported messages also figure in the evidentiary timeline: on 6 February 2021, Plus Ultra shareholder Rodolfo Reyes asked company president Julio Martínez Sola to arrange a meeting involving Camilo Ibrahim Issa and Martínez Martínez. On 26 February, Martínez Martínez reportedly texted Ibrahim Issa that the public aid had been obtained, before the formal government authorization on 9 March. Investigators are examining these communications, which do not by themselves establish that the rescue decision was improperly influenced.
The testimony adds to the ongoing investigation into the Plus Ultra rescue, which has drawn scrutiny over possible political influence in the allocation of pandemic-era public funds. Led by magistrate José Luis Calama, the Audiencia Nacional investigation is examining suspected conduct, including influence-peddling, money laundering, criminal organization and document falsification. These remain investigative allegations, not findings of guilt. For further background on the controversy and earlier court filings implicating Zapatero, see the related report on the airline president's statements: Plus Ultra president's earlier claims about Zapatero's involvement.
Spain's government approved the Plus Ultra bailout in 2021 under a support mechanism for strategically impressive companies affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The decision prompted scrutiny of recipient-selection criteria and the administration of public aid. The case remains under judicial examination. The testimony and reported payments do not, on their own, establish that Zapatero directed SEPI or determined the formal award. Plus Ultra has also faced continuing financial difficulties and has reportedly been seeking a buyer.
