Jewellers value the 100 pieces seized from the former prime minister’s Madrid office at more than €1.3 million.
Former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is under investigation for suspected tax fraud and smuggling after jewellery worth an estimated €1.32 million was reportedly found in his office.
National Court Judge José Luis Calama has opened a separate investigation linked to the Plus Ultra case following the May 19 search of Zapatero’s office on Madrid’s Ferraz Street.
According to the court, the origin of the approximately 100 seized pieces has not yet been established. A preliminary valuation put their total worth at €1,323,915.
Zapatero will be formally notified of the allegations so that he can exercise his right to a defence. He is expected to give evidence on June 17 or 18, the dates already scheduled for his appearance in the main Plus Ultra proceedings.
Possible tax fraud
Judge Calama said the possession of high-value luxury goods, combined with an apparent lack of tax records showing how they were acquired, provided grounds for further investigation.
The purchase or receipt of jewellery of such value could trigger several tax obligations, including VAT, property transfer tax, inheritance and gift tax, or personal income tax, depending on how the items were obtained.
The judge said that, without evidence of lawful acquisition, Spain’s Tax Agency could classify the jewellery as an unexplained capital gain. At an estimated marginal income-tax rate of about 46%, the amount allegedly unpaid could exceed the €120,000 threshold for a criminal tax offence.
Smuggling suspicions
The court is also examining whether the jewellery may have entered Spain without the required customs declarations or payment of import duties.
Judge Calama said the absence of customs documents, import invoices or proof of clearance meant investigators could not rule out the possibility that the items had been brought into the European Union outside legal customs procedures.
Their estimated value is far above the €150,000 threshold at which alleged customs violations may result in criminal liability.
Zapatero will be given the opportunity to explain the origin of the jewellery and submit documents showing that it was lawfully acquired or correctly imported.
Separate investigation opened
The jewellery allegations will be handled separately from the main Plus Ultra case, which involves suspected influence peddling, money laundering, document forgery and membership of a criminal organisation, among other alleged offences.
The judge said separating the proceedings would prevent the main case from becoming unnecessarily complex.
The court stressed that the investigation is at an early stage and is based on preliminary and circumstantial evidence. No finding of guilt has been made.
Some of the jewellery seized during the search of Zapatero’s office in a photo from the National Police. NATIONAL POLICE
