Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has testified before the National Court concerning allegations of financial impropriety and influence peddling.

前西班牙總理 José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero 因涉嫌財務不端與權力交易，已在國家法院出庭作證。

The judicial inquiry centers on the allocation of €53 million in public funds from a COVID-19 recovery mechanism to Plus Ultra, an aviation entity specializing in Spain-South America transit. The investigation seeks to determine if Mr. Zapatero exercised improper influence to facilitate this bailout or if he established a corporate entity in Dubai to receive illicit commissions. Mr. Zapatero has categorically denied these assertions, asserting a lack of foreign corporate ownership and authorizing judicial verification of his global assets.

此次司法調查的焦點在於 5,300 萬歐元的公帑撥款，該筆資金源自新冠肺炎復甦機制，撥給專精於西班牙與南美洲航線的 Plus Ultra 航空公司。調查旨在確定 Zapatero 先生是否利用不正當影響力促成此次紓困，或者是否在杜拜成立公司以收取非法佣金。Zapatero 先生斷然否認這些指控，堅稱自己並未在海外持有公司，並授權司法機關核查其全球資產。

Concurrent with the airline investigation, the scope of the probe has expanded to encompass potential tax evasion and contraband offenses. This expansion followed a May search of Mr. Zapatero's office, during which authorities recovered jewelry valued at approximately €1.3 million. The defendant maintains that these assets were acquired via inheritance or gift. Consequently, anti-corruption prosecutors have petitioned the court for the seizure of Mr. Zapatero's passport and the imposition of bi-weekly judicial reporting requirements.

在航空公司的調查之餘，調查範圍已擴展至可能涉及的逃稅與走私罪行。此次擴展源於權威部門 5 月對 Zapatero 先生辦公室進行搜查時，發現價值約 130 萬歐元的珠寶。被告主張這些資產是透過繼承或贈與獲得。因此，反貪腐檢察官已向法院申請扣押 Zapatero 先生的護照，並要求其每兩週向法院呈報一次。

From a political perspective, the proceedings have precipitated a strategic reaction from the opposition Popular Party, which has leveraged this unprecedented legal precedent—the first instance of a former prime minister appearing as a suspect in the democratic era—to advocate for early elections. Conversely, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has emphasized the necessity of adhering to the presumption of innocence and respecting the autonomy of the judicial process.

從政治角度來看，此次訴訟引起了反對黨人民黨的策略性反應。該黨利用這一前所未有的法律先例——即民主時代以來首位以嫌疑人身份出庭的前總理——來主張提前舉行選舉。相反地，總理 Pedro Sánchez 則強調必須遵守無罪推定原則，並尊重司法程序的自主性。

Mr. Zapatero remains under investigation for money laundering, influence peddling, and tax offenses while the court evaluates the evidence.

在法院評估證據期間，Zapatero 先生仍因涉嫌洗錢、權力交易與稅務罪行而接受調查。