Judge summons Zapatero's daughters and orders new appraisal of 1.3 million euro jewelry

Summons in the Plus Ultra inquiry

Judge José Luis Calama of Spain's Audiencia Nacional has summoned Alba and Laura Rodríguez Espinosa, the daughters of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to testify as formally investigated parties on 30 November 2026. The judicial order sets Alba Rodríguez's court appearance for 09:00 and Laura Rodríguez's testimony for 12:00. Both sisters were formally placed under investigation in June 2026 as part of the judicial probe into alleged irregularities surrounding the 53 million euro bailout granted to airline Plus Ultra by the Spanish government during the coronavirus pandemic. Court records indicate that on 18 May, the magistrate ordered the entry and search of the corporate headquarters of Whathefav, an enterprise in which both daughters act as joint administrators. Judge Calama stated that their formal administrative roles in the company, whose commercial activity appears indicatively linked to the investigated network, warranted their direct appearance before the tribunal.

Office search and jewelry valuation

Alongside the summonses for the two daughters, Judge Calama issued a ruling ordering a new expert appraisal of the jewelry seized during a judicial search of Zapatero's private office on 19 May. The collection of items, retrieved from a safe inside the former prime minister's office, was initially valued at 1.3 million euros. Acting on a petition from the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, which suspects that the present market value of the collection exceeds earlier estimates, the judge commissioned appraisers and gemologists from the firm Joyería Yanes to carry out the reassessment. Under the judicial decree, Yanes will receive and review the six gemological reports compiled by the Spanish Gemological Institute in June. The court directed the expert evaluators to identify the geographic production area, verify the composition of precious metals, determine the age of the pieces, and calculate the current replacement value for both individual items and the complete lot.

Documentation deadline for Zapatero

Zapatero remains under formal investigation in the proceedings on allegations of tax offences and smuggling in connection with the seized valuables. Judge Calama gave the former prime minister's legal team a three-day deadline to deliver all documentation in its possession regarding the provenance and purchase of the jewelry. Zapatero previously testified as an investigated party before the Audiencia Nacional magistrate on 17 June, telling the court at that time that he would submit an explanatory dossier within one week, though no subsequent documents were delivered. Sources close to Zapatero's defence maintain that the jewelry originated as diplomatic gifts from Saudi Arabia to his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa, during his period in office as head of government, although the formal submission to the judge remains outstanding.

Upcoming witness depositions

Before taking testimony from the former prime minister's daughters, the Audiencia Nacional will question executive witnesses regarding the airline rescue package.

Judge Calama summoned José Ángel Partearroyo, the former director of holdings at the state industrial agency SEPI, to testify on 19 November 2026. Félix Martín, the former chief financial officer of Plus Ultra, is also scheduled to provide witness testimony before the court on 19 November 2026. The witness hearings aim to clarify the administrative and financial procedures that led to the approval of public support for the carrier.