José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has told the National High Court that the most valuable jewels found in his office were a personal gift from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in 2007. The court is examining possible contraband and tax offences linked to the pieces. His defence wants the judge to seek confirmation from Saudi Arabia, nearly two decades after the alleged handover.
The former prime minister says the gift was presented in June 2007 at the family residence in the Palacio de la Moncloa, during a visit by the Saudi monarch. He describes it as a personal gesture, accepted out of courtesy and in gratitude and respect. He submitted his account in writing to the National High Court four months after the jewels were found in his office on 19 May. Libertad Digital reported that official gift registers show Zapatero declared other presents from the Saudi monarchy in 2007 and 2008. That record may be relevant to the court's review of how the jewellery was handled.
The 12 pieces at the centre of the explanation account for about 90% of the collection's total value. They make up three sets, each with a necklace and earrings, as well as bracelets. One is a ruby set made from 18-carat white gold; another is an emerald set with stones from Zambia. The third is an 18-carat white-gold sapphire set. The ARA had access to the document. Reports put the wider collection at roughly 60 to 80 items. The defence says the three sets account for more than 90% of its value.
That has become the basic point in the defence's case.
Zapatero's lawyer says he contacted the head of protocol at the Saudi royal court through the country's embassy in Madrid on 16 June, one day before Zapatero appeared before Judge José Luis Calama as an investigated person. A second letter followed on 12 August, warning that international judicial cooperation could be requested.
The defence now wants Calama to send a letter rogatory to Saudi Arabia, asking whether the jewels were handed over in 2007. Reports by ARA and El Mundo describe the request as a bid to obtain confirmation from outside Spain, rather than rely solely on Zapatero's written account.
The filing also says the valuable pieces were kept with family jewellery and gifts from friends. Zapatero says they were never used or put to another purpose, and that he did not know their material value. The other 67 items found in the safe are described as family possessions with no relevance. Many are worth less than €1,000; others have no value.
Zapatero had earlier offered only a broad explanation. He said some jewels were inherited, while the rest came from a courtesy gift received many years ago, without identifying the donor. His defence now says the delay reflected the time that had passed and the need to obtain confirmation before providing a precise account.
The valuation is another point of dispute. Ansorena valued the collection at €1.3 million. Several reports citing the expert assessment put the total at approximately €1,323,915. Zapatero's lawyer rejects that figure as well above the pieces' real value. The defence says the estimate uses present-day prices, including taxes and insurance-related calculations, rather than the jewels' value in 2007. The filing argues that the current assessment so cannot establish what they were worth when they were allegedly given.
Judge Calama ordered a new gemological assessment by Yanes on Monday and gave the former prime minister three days to provide more information. The earlier valuation prompted a separate investigation into alleged contraband and tax offences, putting the jewellery's origin and price at the centre of the case. Government spokesperson Elma Saiz has stressed the presumption of innocence in response to questions about the case and the court's deadline.
The same investigation has also prompted a separate judicial move involving Simon Verhoeven. The Dutch investor was arrested at Frankfurt am Basic airport on 21 August after a seven-month search order. He is due to arrive in Spain on Thursday. Calama has ordered his temporary detention at Soto del Real until he appears on Friday at 9 a.m. He is suspected of criminal organisation and money laundering, as well as influence peddling and misappropriation.
Verhoeven provided three loans to Plus Ultra before the airline received a Spanish government rescue package. The UDEF identified possible irregularities in transactions involving the companies he used. One question is whether rescue funds may have been used to launder the loans.
Zapatero's filing frames the jewellery dispute as a question Saudi authorities can verify: whether the gift existed and what it was worth at the time. If the court finds the written explanation insufficient, it may seek international legal assistance from Saudi Arabia. Until that evidence is tested, the filing narrows the issue but leaves the court's separate investigation unresolved.
