A Spanish court follows the trail of the former prime minister's bitcoins: seizure of crypto assets in the Zapatero case
Former Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has found himself at the center of a major corruption scandal that has now also touched the world of cryptocurrencies. During a court hearing on June 17, the politician categorically denied all accusations related to the allocation of $61.5 million in state aid to the airline Plus Ultra in 2021. However, the investigation is not limited to traditional financial instruments — Spanish law enforcement is actively searching for his digital assets.
Judge José Luis Calama, who is handling the case, has already signed an order for the seizure of assets, including cryptocurrency wallets. Spain's Economic Police have been ordered to find and freeze any wallets containing Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC) that may belong to Zapatero. This adds to measures already taken, such as the blocking of bank accounts and auditing of offshore companies.
The former prime minister insists on his innocence, claiming that the suspicious funds are legitimate income from consulting and design services for his daughters' agency. He stated that he gives a "voluntary general authorization" for the inspection of his assets and emphasized that he does not keep funds abroad. "I have absolutely nothing outside of Spain," the politician declared in court. However, the judge thinks otherwise, pointing to the possible creation of an offshore entity in Dubai just eight days after the government approved the aid for Plus Ultra.
Notably, Judge Calama already has experience with major crypto fraud cases in Spain, including the Madeira Invest case, which affected more than 3,000 people. If cryptocurrency is found belonging to Zapatero, it will be transferred to the specialized crypto vault Prosegur in Madrid, which operates under contract for judicial seizure procedures.
Cryptalist Analysis: This precedent demonstrates the growing ability of European law enforcement agencies to track and seize crypto assets, even from high-ranking politicians. Spain, by implementing new EU anti-money laundering regulations, is clearly aiming to use blockchain tools to investigate corruption. However, Zapatero's statements about voluntarily disclosing assets could be an attempt to soften the blow if the investigation still finds "skeletons in the digital closet."