Spain's ex-PM Zapatero denies wrongdoing in graft court hearing

By David Latona and Emma ‌Pinedo

MADRID, June 17 (Reuters) - ​Jose Luis ​Rodriguez Zapatero, a former prime minister of Spain, told a High Court judge on Wednesday that he never intervened to secure a state bailout ‌on an airline's behalf - the allegation at the heart of an influence-peddling ⁠probe against him.

Zapatero, who led the country between 2004 and 2011, is the first Spanish premier to ‌be formally investigated since the country's ‌return to democracy.

He remains a widely respected figure in the ruling Socialist Party and is a key ally to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose government faces a ​slew of corruption scandals.

Wearing a navy-blue suit and matching tie, Zapatero arrived at the High Court by car and accessed the building through a cordoned-off pavement. His ⁠testimony lasted three-and-a-half hours.

Zapatero is being investigated for allegedly leading an influence-peddling and money-laundering network suspected of profiting from lobbying ​public authorities on behalf of third parties.

One of those alleged clients is Spanish airline Plus Ultra, which was bailed out with €53 million ($61 million) ​at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in ‌2021.

'DECENCY AND HONESTY'

"I'm accused of very serious crimes that I didn't commit," Zapatero said in a statement released after the hearing, adding ⁠that he had submitted a voluntary blanket authorisation to the court to show he holds no companies or assets outside Spain.

"I've always conducted myself with decency and honesty, and now that I have ⁠the task ahead of me of proving it, I will do so with absolute transparency."

Last week, investigating ​judge Jose Luis Calama opened a separate probe over jewellery found during a search of Zapatero's office - provisionally valued at about €1.3 million and currently lacking documented proof of origin - for potential tax evasion ‌or smuggling offences.

Citing court sources, state news agency EFE said that when Calama asked Zapatero about the jewellery on Wednesday, the ex-premier ‌exercised his right not to testify, arguing his defence had not had enough time to ⁠prepare.

The anti-corruption prosecutor had asked to ‌withdraw Zapatero's passport, but Calama ​declined, saying the former politician's public notoriety offset any flight risk.

($1 = 0.8627 euros)

(Reporting by David Latona and Emma Penedo; Editing by Andrei Khalip and ‌Ros Rossell)

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