Court Probes Dubai Offshore in Plus Ultra Case and Zapatero’s Role. In the Plus Ultra case, the judge suspects the creation of an offshore entity in Dubai under Zapatero’s instructions. Investigators believe the structure may have been used to transfer part of the funds abroad. The former prime minister has been summoned for questioning.
The investigation into Plus Ultra is intensifying in Spain: the National Court judge suspects that, on the initiative of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, an offshore company was established in Dubai to siphon off part of the funds related to state support for the airline. According to the investigation, the structure may have enabled money movements to be concealed outside the country, making the funds harder to trace.
Judge José Luis Calama believes that the founding of the company Landside Dubai Fzco (or Landside Middle East Fzco) in the UAE was organized by direct order of Zapatero, with the participation of his secretary María Gertrudis Alcázar Jiménez and businessman Julio Martínez Martínez. This company is wholly owned by the Spanish Idella Consulenza Strategica, where Martínez Martínez serves as administrator. He was detained in December as part of the investigation. This is the entity that signed a contract with Plus Ultra to receive 1% of the state aid—about 530,000 euros—if the airline obtained a government tranche.
A key element of the investigation is a contract found by police on Martínez Martínez’s computer. The document was signed on January 19, 2021, and within a week of the signing, steps had already been taken to create the offshore company in Dubai. Investigators note that the absence of payouts on this contract within Spain reinforces suspicions that funds may have been withdrawn through an offshore structure.
The judge points to signs of an international scheme for transferring and concealing funds, which may fall under the article on laundering proceeds of crime. According to investigators, Plus Ultra's contact with Zapatero's associates was not accidental but part of an organized scheme. In this regard, the ex-prime minister has been summoned for questioning on June 2 in a case involving possible laundering of part of the €53 million allocated to the airline after the pandemic.
Zapatero himself has already commented on the situation, stating in a video address that he received a summons and intends to cooperate with the investigation. He stressed that he has never owned companies either in Spain or abroad, and has not been involved in such operations.
The context of the Plus Ultra case is reminiscent of other high-profile investigations in recent years related to the allocation of public funds and the activities of senior officials. For example, the prime minister’s wife recently testified in a case involving Red.es contracts — details of that testimony are available here. In both cases, investigators are focusing on the transparency of financial flows and possible abuses in the distribution of budget funds.
For reference: Plus Ultra is a Spanish airline that received state support after the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Court is Spain’s highest court for complex cases. Offshore companies in the UAE are often used for tax optimization and concealing beneficiaries, which draws the attention of European law enforcement agencies. In recent years, Spain has tightened inspections in cases of corruption and money laundering, especially involving major government contracts and the participation of former or current politicians.
