The Socialist Party has reaffirmed its backing for former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero after his three-hour court declaration regarding the Plus Ultra airline bailout.
The PSOE issued a statement defending the presumption of innocence and absolute respect for the justice system. The party referred to Zapatero's own words, in which he proclaimed his innocence and offered full transparency by providing authorization to verify he holds no assets abroad.
Zapatero told magistrate José Luis Calama on Wednesday that he did not contact any official or authority to favor the 53 million euro public rescue of Plus Ultra during the pandemic. Upon leaving the National Court he repeated his call for trust in the justice system.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office asked the judge to withdraw Zapatero's passport, require court appearances every fifteen days and restrict travel abroad. The magistrate must now rule on these requests.
