Two top Plus Ultra executives, President Julio Martínez Sola and CEO Roberto Roselli, have formally confirmed to the court that WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) messages basic to the investigation into the airline's €53 million state bailout are authentic. Their statements support the prosecution's case that communications with Venezuelan businessman and shareholder Rodolfo Reyes Rojas are genuine and accurately reflect discussions about the rescue package granted in 2021.
On 9 March 2021, Spain's Council of Ministers authorized €53 million in financing for Plus Ultra through the Fondo de Ayuda a la Solvencia de Empresas Estratégicas, managed by the state holding company SEPI. The pandemic-era facility was intended to support strategic companies facing financial distress. The bailout is now under scrutiny in an investigation led by National Court Judge José Luis Calama, which examines allegations about how the financing was secured and whether funds were later connected to money-laundering activity.
Messages retrieved from Reyes Rojas's mobile phone have become a focus of the probe. The court is examining alleged links between former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and efforts to influence the allocation of public funds. Communications cited by the National Police's Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) include references to Zapatero's alleged involvement. One message reads: “Our pal Zapatero behind it.” The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established by a final judgment.
Zapatero's legal team has challenged the admissibility of the messages, arguing that U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized them in Miami in 2021 without a Spanish judicial order and handed them to Spanish authorities only in March 2026. The defense disputes the material's evidentiary value and legality, including how it was obtained and transferred. On 5 June, Judge Calama requested formal judicial authorization from U.S. authorities concerning its use in Spain. On 25 June, Zapatero sought to have the investigation annulled, arguing that it began with an unauthorized analysis of private conversations.
Martínez Sola and Roselli highlighted three conversations from Reyes Rojas's phone, two of which directly mention Zapatero. In an exchange from May 2020, Reyes asks Roselli about a conversation with Zapatero. Roselli replies that he is dealing with an intermediary, referring to Julio Martínez Martínez, an associate of Zapatero and administrator of relevant analysis. The messages refer to a “finance boutique” and a potential commission tied to efforts to help the bailout.
A second conversation, from July 2020, shows Reyes sending Martínez Sola news about the creation of the Solvency Support Fund for Strategic Companies (FASEE). Martínez Sola replies that the “Zapatero Group” was already involved. The executives' filings say subsequent meetings with Martínez Martínez led to an advisory contract between relevant analysis and Plus Ultra, valued at €60,000 plus VAT. They also acknowledge a further payment of more than €500,000, about 1% of the €53 million rescue, through companies linked to Martínez Martínez. Separately, ABC has reported that Martínez told prosecutors he learned of the government's decision through Zapatero and described the payment as made “ante la duda.”
The inquiry has moved beyond the original question of the airline's eligibility for pandemic support. Investigators are examining alleged intermediary payments and corporate links, while tracing international financial movements and the possible destination of public funds. UDEF has reportedly reviewed hundreds of emails and corporate relationships, including connections involving Reyes Rojas and other investors. The probe also includes allegations of money laundering and tax-related conduct; a separate inquiry is examining whether public money was routed through companies associated with alleged laundering operations.
The original case concerning the rescue was reportedly archived in 2023 on procedural-time-limit grounds, while the separate financial investigation continues. Zapatero's defense rejects the allegations and disputes the interpretation and admissibility of evidence attributed to the investigation. The proceedings remain at the investigative stage, and no final judgment has established wrongdoing by Zapatero, Plus Ultra-linked individuals or other parties.
The bailout also has an immediate financial dimension. Plus Ultra is reportedly seeking a buyer amid severe financial pressure and is required to repay the €53 million to SEPI over the next two years. The repayment obligation and reported sale effort add to scrutiny of the state's potential recovery of the funds, but do not determine whether the original rescue was lawful or establish that a sale has been completed. The controversy has also featured in related coverage, including this report on the Plus Ultra commission case.
The legal dispute over the messages raises questions about the use in Spanish proceedings of material obtained by foreign authorities, including its transfer and chain of custody. The case has also drawn attention to oversight of emergency economic support: the €53 million decision was made by the Council of Ministers through a SEPI-managed fund, while investigators examine alleged political influence and the subsequent movement of money. The court's assessment of the communications will form part of that wider inquiry.
