The Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) has searched this morning the headquarters of the airline Plus Ultra in the framework of an investigation opened for alleged irregularities linked to money laundering. The intervention, which began at around eight o’clock in the morning, was carried out by agents who went to the central offices in order to access the internal server of the corporation and gather key information for the investigations.
As Vozpópuli Vozpópulithe company’s management sent a communiqué early in the morning to its workers recommending that they “do not go to work”, an instruction that has caused concern among the staff. The police operation, which has been carried out without incident, is part of the proceedings that seek to clarify the scope of the commercial and financial relations of the airline.
Investigation focused on tax data and money laundering
The search by the UDEF is part of an investigation which, as Vozpópuli has been able to know, is focusing on “all the information regarding the company’s taxation”, with a special interest in possible money laundering crimes. The fact that the agents are focusing specifically on this aspect directly links the 53 Million Euros state loan granted to Plus Ultra by the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI) in 2021.
For the moment, the authorities have not provided details on the seized material or on the next steps of the investigation, which remains under secrecy.
Controversy over $53 million ransom and ties to Venezuela
Plus Ultra’s links with Venezuela and the Spanish Government can be found in a controversial 53 Million Euros bailout granted by SEPI in 2021 for companies considered as strategic and affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This aid raised a great controversy because the airline did not seem to meet the criteria of solvency nor of being strategic, besides having businessmen close to the Venezuelan regime.
In 2021, the Court of Auditors admitted for processing a complaint filed by the party Ciudadanos in which it began an investigation about the bailout at SEPI’s expense, in order to determine whether there was an “alleged misappropriation of public funds”. The admission for processing opened a first judicial front which now is complemented with the actions of the UDEF.
Connections with former President Zapatero
Vozpópuli has reported on several occasions on the connections between the former Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and the Venezuelan airline. The sources of the investigation point out that Zapatero deployed an intense lobbying effort in favor of the airline during the rescue process.
One of the key testimonies gathered indicates that Zapatero went to the Ministry of Transport, then headed by José Luis Ábalos, to make a clear slogan: “That rescue had to be done”. This intervention would have been crucial to overcome the initial objections as to whether Plus Ultra met the requirements to be considered a “strategic” and viable company, according to the sources consulted.
The impact of registration and business response
The UDEF search of Plus Ultra’s headquarters comes at a time of strong public and media scrutiny of public aid and the criteria used to grant it during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s internal recommendation that workers stay away from the workplace has increased concern among its employees and has put the spotlight on the airline’s internal operations.
Although the company has not made public any official statement about the search, sources close to the investigation assure that the proceedings could extend beyond the headquarters, covering possible corporate, financial and tax links with other entities and individuals related to Plus Ultra.
A case that is still under seal
The case in which the UDEF search is framed is under judicial secrecy, which limits the public information available and keeps most of the proceedings out of the public domain for the time being. The police operation has been carried out as part of a broader investigation that includes possible money laundering offenses and other irregularities in the management of public funds.
The use of corporate taxation as the axis of the investigation indicates that the agents are looking for accounting and tax elements which can prove suspicious money movements or practices which are contrary to the law. The cross-checking of information with SEPI’s loan in 2021 is one of the key aspects, since it would support the thesis that there were irregularities in the granting of state aid.
Political implications and expectations
The search of Plus Ultra’s headquarters by the UDEF adds a new political and legal dimension to the case, which had already generated debate in different areas. The investigations into the bailout and the connections with high-profile political figures, such as Zapatero and Ábalos, have put the management of public aid and transparency in government decisions at the center of the debate.
While the case continues and the Guardia Civil continues to gather information, expectations will continue regarding possible indictments, new legal proceedings and the determination of responsibilities. The Plus Ultra case has become one of the most prominent focal points in the field of anti-corruption and oversight of public funds, with implications that could extend beyond the business sphere to the political sphere.
