Spanish Ex-Premier Zapatero Hit with New Jewelry Probe

Pressure on former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero continued to mount on Friday as the country's highest criminal court opened a new branch of an investigation into allegations of smuggling and tax fraud related to a collection of luxury jewelry found during a police raid.

Investigators have targeted more than 100 pieces of jewelry stored in a safe in Zapatero's private office, according to the court, whose value exceeds 1.3 million euros, Euroactiv reported. Judge Jose Luis Calama said the legal origin of the jewelry had not yet been proven and that tax documents related to its acquisition were also missing.

The court said there are grounds to examine possible tax evasion as well as suspected smuggling, noting that the jewelry may have entered the European Union without fulfilling the necessary customs controls and tax obligations.

The new investigation follows the court's decision in May to open criminal proceedings against Zapatero on suspicion of influence peddling and money laundering, a case related in part to the bailout of the Plus Ultra airline, which had ties to Venezuela.

Zapatero's entourage initially claimed the jewelry was worth significantly less and that the pieces came from gifts and family heirlooms. His spokesman has since apologized for providing inaccurate information about the value and confirmed that Zapatero will provide an explanation before a judge. Zapatero denies all the allegations.

(max)