The defense of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has opened a new front to try to stop the second appraisal of the jewels found by the Police in the safe of his office. His lawyer, Víctor Moreno Catena, appealed this Friday the decision of the National Court judge José Luis Calama and has requested that the proceeding be annulled.
Zapatero maintains that the magistrate has not sufficiently explained the need to re-examine the pieces after the work carried out by the Ansorena jewelry store. That first expert report individually analyzed the 67 jewels and set a replacement value of 1,323,915 euros for the set, although the defense rejects that amount considering it much higher than its real price.
"It is not fully understood what utility it pursues or what specific purpose it responds to" the new report, argues the appeal. Moreno Catena considers that the assignment overlaps with the previous report and suggests that, if data was missing, Calama could have requested an extension from the same experts who already had the pieces in their hands.
The second expert report has, however, a broader scope. The judge wants to know with greater precision the metals and stones used, their purity and quality, possible marks, antiquity, geographical area of manufacture and the current value of each piece. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office had requested to delve into these elements due to the suspicion that the real value of the lot could exceed the first estimate.
The defense also insists on removing the Yanes jewelry store, chosen by Calama, from the examination. Its general director, Juan Yanes, publicly stated before receiving the assignment that there were several pieces of "apparently incalculable" value and placed the set around "a couple of million" euros after observing some photographs. Zapatero understands that these statements compromise the appearance of impartiality of the entire firm.
The appeal requests that the judge appoint another professional based on criteria of experience, knowledge and objectivity. If Calama maintains the second appraisal, Zapatero also announces that he will propose a party expert to participate in the recognition of the jewels and issue his own report together with the judicially appointed expert.
Twelve jewels attributed to the King of Saudi Arabia
The battle for value is directly related to the explanation offered this week about the origin of the most expensive pieces. Zapatero assures that twelve jewels with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds were a "strictly personal gesture" from the then king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, during his official visit to Spain in June 2007.
These three sets of necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings account for approximately 1.2 million euros of the total valuation. The former president maintains that he accepted the gift out of "deference," that he kept it without using it, and that he was unaware of its true value. He has also asked Calama to request cooperation from Saudi Arabia for the Royal Court to confirm the delivery and composition of the gift. For now, this certification has not been incorporated into the case.
The explanation arrived more than four months after the police search of the office, carried out on May 19. Zapatero's secretary then attributed the pieces to family inheritances of Sonsoles Espinosa and to gifts received during various trips. His authorized spokesperson, Luis Arroyo, initially estimated that they could be worth between 30,000 and 50,000 euros.
Zapatero avoided answering about the jewels during his judicial statement in June and committed to gathering the documentation within approximately ten days. The judge requested it again this week after three months passed without receiving it. The defense has now presented the version of the Saudi gift and maintains that the value set in 2026 does not allow knowing how much the jewels cost when they were delivered in 2007.
Proving the date and place of delivery is crucial for the separate proceeding opened for alleged tax and smuggling offenses. If the Saudi origin and reception in Spain 19 years ago are proven, these data could affect both the existence of smuggling and the statute of limitations for a possible tax liability. The Audiencia Nacional keeps the proceedings open to verify the account.
The alleged origin also raises a question about the treatment of gifts received during his time in La Moncloa. The Code of Good Governance approved by the Zapatero Executive in 2005 established that gifts exceeding usual courtesy should be rejected and that those of greater institutional significance had to be incorporated into the State's Heritage. The defense maintains that these twelve pieces were a personal gift from the Saudi monarch.
The investigation of the jewels is progressing separately within the Plus Ultra case, in which Calama is investigating Zapatero for his alleged intervention in the public rescue of 53 million euros granted to the airline during the pandemic. His daughters, Laura and Alba Rodríguez Espinosa, are summoned to testify as investigated on November 30 for the activity of the company they managed.
Calama must now resolve the appeal against the second appraisal and the request to remove Yanes. If he maintains the examination, he will also have to decide which other expert intervenes and if he allows the expert proposed by Zapatero to participate in the recognition of the jewels.
