The president of Plus Ultra implicates Zapatero in the 530,000 euro commission for the rescue

The president of Plus Ultra, Julio Martínez Sola, has sent a letter to the judge of the Audiencia Nacional, José Luis Calama, in which he implicates José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in the efforts made to secure the public bailout of 53 million euros. The information, advanced by ‘elDiario.es’, represents the second known testimony this Monday that places the former president within the operation.

Martínez Sola explains that the airline decided in January 2021 to hire Idella Consulenza, a company linked to Julio Martínez Martínez, known as "Julito", with remuneration directly tied to the success of the bailout. The agreement established a commission of 1% of the public financing obtained, equivalent to 530,000 euros before taxes.

That contract ended without being formally executed, although the company acknowledges having paid that amount through payments to Análisis Relevante, Voli Analítica, and Iot Domotic Europe, all three related to Martínez Martínez. The calculation also includes 46 business class flights used by the businessman and paid for by Plus Ultra.

The airline's president admits that neither he nor the then financial director, Roberto Roselli, had "conclusive evidence" of the specific actions taken to influence or favor the granting of the aid. Even so, he maintains that Plus Ultra's delicate situation led them to assume that hiring as a "desperate measure".

The key was "Julito"'s relationship with Zapatero. According to Martínez Sola, the company's executives agreed to pay high amounts for tasks described as "accompaniment" because they were aware of the contacts the businessman maintained with the former socialist president.

Two letters that coincide on Zapatero's role

The new statement comes just hours after Julio Martínez Martínez himself delivered another letter to the magistrate. In it, he asserts that Zapatero was the one who set the steps to be followed, attracted clients for Análisis Relevante, and remained informed about the progress of Plus Ultra's negotiations.

"Julito" also maintains that the former president informed him on February 26, 2021, that SEPI was going to approve the financing. The concession then went through the Strategic Companies Solvency Support Fund and was finally authorized by the Council of Ministers on March 9.

According to that first document, Plus Ultra had signed a consulting contract in July 2020 for 5,000 euros per month with Análisis Relevante. Months later, the second agreement appeared, linking the collection of 1% to the effective obtaining of the rescue.

The two accounts known this Monday coincide on several points. The airline sought the intervention of Zapatero's circle, agreed to pay a commission linked to the success of the operation, and ended up paying around 530,000 euros through several companies related to Julio Martínez Martínez.

The statements clash with the version offered until now by the former President of the Government. Zapatero denied before the judge having made efforts to influence the granting of the rescue and rejected having collected any commission linked to Plus Ultra. He did acknowledge having worked as a consultant for Análisis Relevante and having received an annual remuneration for those services.

The investigation must now determine what actions Zapatero actually carried out, if he exerted influence on public officials, and what was the final destination of the money paid by the airline. The writings of Martínez Sola and Martínez Martínez incorporate two incriminating accounts, although they will still have to be ratified before the judge and contrasted with the banking and corporate documentation of the case.

Julio Martínez Martínez is summoned this Tuesday to the Audiencia Nacional. His interrogation will allow Calama to ask him about the commission, the companies used to collect it, and the instructions he directly attributes to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

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