A National Court judge has received an appraisal valuing the jewels seized from José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s office at 1.3 million euros.
The jewelry firm Ansorena, with the collaboration of the Instituto Gemológico Español, carried out the appraisal at the request of judge José Luis Calama. The valuation was ordered to determine the nature, authenticity and replacement economic value of the pieces.
The jewels were seized on 19 May by the National Police’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit during a search of the former president’s office. According to the police report, Zapatero’s secretary attributed their origin to the family inheritance of his wife Sonsoles Espinosa and to gifts from travels.
Luis Arroyo, authorised spokesperson for the former president, stated that the jewels would be valued between 30,000 and 50,000 euros. The analysis is part of the investigation into the Plus Ultra case concerning the 53 million euro bailout granted to the airline during the pandemic.