Witness claims Zapatero's seized jewels were paid for Saudi high-speed rail deal
A witness told investigators that the jewelry found in former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s office was a kick-back for securing a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia.
Investigators received new testimony indicating that the more than 60 pieces of jewelry confiscated from José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s former office were a form of illegal commission for a Saudi high-speed rail project. The witness, who sent the material from Jeddah, asserts the contract was negotiated in 2009 during Zapatero’s premiership and formally signed in January 2012 after he left office. He identified four other individuals—a Saudi negotiator and three Spanish sector executives—who can confirm the details.
The judge ordered an expert valuation, which placed the total worth above a million euros, and a second appraisal by the Yanes jeweler is underway. Zapatero maintains the jewels were a 2007 gift from King Abdalá bin Abdulaziz and were not declared for tax reasons.
Why it matters
The allegation links a former Spanish leader to alleged corruption in an international infrastructure deal.
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