Julio Martínez Martínez, who was a man of complete trust for former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, began collaborating with Justice yesterday. He assured that the former head of the Executive was involved from the origin in the creation of the company Análisis Relevante even though he remained in the shadows and decided not to be part of its shareholding. He confirmed the collection of an illegal commission derived from the efforts made by the former president to ensure that the Plus Ultra company was rescued by the government of Pedro Sánchez.
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He added that the bribe payments were broken down by order of Zapatero himself through other companies when media pressure intensified. He also explained that it was the former president of the Executive who anticipated to him that the airline was going to be rescued even before the Council of Ministers presided over by Pedro Sánchez met. However, despite this confession, which undoubtedly worsens Zapatero’s judicial outlook, the businessman also gave vague and diffuse answers, leading the investigating magistrate of the case, José Luis Calama, to ask him if he was acting as a mere “go-between” for former president Zapatero.
Sources close to the case consulted by EL MUNDO indicate that the importance of the testimony of the Alicante businessman lies in confirming the investigators’ main suspicion: that the person who commanded and managed Análisis Relevante was Zapatero and that this company was created so that the former president could covertly collect payments he received as a commission agent in Spain and also internationally. The judge attributes to the former secretary general of the PSOE the leadership of a criminal structure dedicated to influence peddling in our country and abroad, through connections in Venezuela, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
On the other hand, in his statement, Julito explained that it was the Telefónica executive, Javier de Paz, who proposed they establish a consultancy to carry out advisory work, mainly performed by Zapatero. And, although the former president remained on the sidelines, the reality is that he was the one who attracted clients, ordered how payments were channeled, and decided that a retainer be paid to his daughters through the company Whathefav.
Julio Martínez Martínez declared that on February 26, 2021, Zapatero informed him that the State Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI) was going to grant the loan requested by Plus Ultra. Then, he conveyed it to the former shareholder of Plus Ultra, Rodolfo Reyes, with the following message: “My greatest congratulations for having achieved the objective. Undoubtedly, it has been a consequence of the exceptional work carried out by the Plusultra team. I have been informed and congratulated by SEPI itself for this excellent work (…)”. Anti-corruption prosecutor Elena Lorente asked him about that message, and the accused indicated that he had transmitted the information Zapatero gave him and that he did not remember if he had directly forwarded a message from the former president. Along with Reyes, Julito sent a message in similar terms to Camilo Ibrahim Issa, Plus Ultra’s strongman in Venezuela.
Previously, in response to questions from Judge Calama, the businessman had ruled out having mediated with SEPI to obtain the public aid of 53 million euros, which led the investigator to make an inference, pointing out that it was already known who had carried out those efforts, in veiled reference to former president Zapatero.
The granting of the aforementioned loan was approved by the Council of Ministers, specifically on March 9, 2021, several days after Zapatero communicated it to his straw man. When asked with whom the former president mediated or influenced to achieve the rescue, the businessman said he did not know. In the approximately three and a half hours that the statement lasted, Julio Martínez admitted that they collected a 1 percent commission for having obtained the millionaire state aid and that it was Zapatero who stipulated that the bribe payments be channeled through the company Análisis Relevante.
He also explained that the former president later ordered those payments to be broken down among different companies due to the media pressure that arose around the rescue, after the first reports questioning the granting of aid to a company like Plus Ultra were published. Specifically, 249,000 euros were paid to Análisis Relevante, 98,617.53 euros to the company Voli Analítica SL, and 110,799.47 to IOT Domotic Europe SL.
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This diversification of payments among different instrumental companies has been confirmed in separate confessions by Plus Ultra executives, owner Julio Martínez Sola, and the company’s CEO, Roberto Roselli, who have also decided to collaborate with Justice.
Throughout the interrogation, the businessman narrated how his friendship with Zapatero began, with whom he went running almost daily. During these morning meetings, they discussed dealings concerning Venezuela, which Julito later noted in the agendas seized from him by the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (Udef).
The investigated party declared that it was Zapatero who introduced him to Venezuela and presented him to Delcy Rodríguez, then vice president of Nicolás Maduro’s regime and now interim president of the Caribbean country. Martínez began dealing directly with “the lady” – as he called her – on all matters related to the country. She told him whom to call for each task. He also pointed out that the business dealings with the Venezuelan brothers Amaro Chacón, payers of the daughters of the former PSOE leader, originated from Zapatero. Regarding these businessmen, he admitted that, on occasion, he had forwarded messages that originated from or were intended for the former President of the Government as the recipient.
On the other hand, the investigated party admitted yesterday something that Zapatero did not acknowledge in his judicial statement: that the former president attended a meal at the Portonovo restaurant in Madrid, to which investigators attach great importance. The reason is that the next day, efforts were initiated to create a company in Dubai that would have been used to channel illegal commissions.
When he appeared on June 17 at the Audiencia Nacional, the former president told the judge that he did not remember that lunch and that he would consult his agenda. As for Julito, although he acknowledged the meal, he indicated that it was for other matters. The businessman has disassociated the former President of the Government from the intention to establish that offshore company.
Furthermore, the businessman gave vague explanations about the origin of the large amount of cash, 286,000 euros, that the Udef found distributed throughout his home. Specifically, he attributed it to real estate operations that he did not want to specify. He also stated that the money found in a Miami account – more than 600,000 euros – also came from his businesses as a real estate entrepreneur.
