Former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has pointed out “absurd conjectures” in the reports from the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police sent to judge José Luis Calama, where it is stated that the socialist leader headed the “apex” of an influence network, and has attributed the accusations to his support for Pedro Sánchez in the 23-J electoral campaign.
Read more Sánchez tries to convey calm amid political and judicial storm over the Zapatero case
This is how the president of the Ateneo de Madrid, Luis Arroyo, who also worked in Moncloa when Zapatero was president of the Government, as chief of staff of the secretaries of State for Communication Miguel Barroso and Fernando Moraleda, has spoken.
Now, acting as the authorized spokesperson for the former president of the Government, he stated in an intervention on the program ‘Mañaneros 360’ (TVE) that Zapatero is “eager” to defend his reputation and truth in the appearance scheduled for June 2 at the National Court.
Zapatero says he is eager to defend his reputation and truth in the appearance scheduled for June 2
That said, he explained that the former president is “very surprised” by the “assumptions” contained in judge Calama’s indictment order and has questioned the attribution to him of being “the head” of a hierarchical organization “that controlled financial flows.”
Read more León XIV challenges the giants of artificial intelligence
Also read
According to Arroyo, Zapatero attributes the accusations “to the political context” of 2023, when he begins “very prominently to defend Sánchez’s Government” in the electoral campaign and “begins to receive these brutal attacks that are causing damage to the reputation” of a president “whom everyone knows has been impeccable in his behavior.”
Arroyo defends that the former president’s activities have been “perfectly legal” and declared to the Treasury
The spokesperson authorized by Zapatero has pointed out that the order includes two UDEF reports “that make completely absurd conjectures” and attribute to him “a very serious criminal conduct.”
Regarding the accusation of influence peddling, Arroyo has pointed out that Zapatero defends that since 2012 he has worked “on many cases, some paid and others not” and that he “has access to certain people” because “he was president of the government for seven years.” Thus, he has insisted that his activities have been “perfectly legal” and declared to the Treasury.
Read more The 210 references to Zapatero in the UDEF reports: how far is the former president surrounded?
