A Spanish court is hunting for the bitcoins of the former prime minister: a case of corruption and offshore accounts
Spanish justice has reached a new level in the hunt for corrupt assets. At the center of a high-profile scandal is former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The investigation, which has already frozen his bank accounts and is examining offshore companies, has now turned to cryptocurrencies. A judge has ordered the seizure of Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC) that may belong to the politician.
The $61.5 Million Case: Airline, Offshore, and Bitcoins
The scandal is linked to the allocation of state aid to the airline Plus Ultra in 2021. The amount in question is $61.5 million, which was transferred through the state-owned enterprise SEPI. The investigation suspects that part of these funds may have been illegally appropriated.
Key point: just eight days after the government approved this aid, an offshore company was registered in Dubai, allegedly connected to Zapatero according to the court. The former prime minister himself categorically denies any involvement in the corruption scheme.
On June 17, during a court hearing at the National Court of Madrid, Zapatero testified for three hours. He stated that the suspicious funds in his accounts are the legal income of his daughters from consulting and design services. The politician insists he never contacted Plus Ultra's management regarding the subsidies and only met the company's current president in 2024.
The case is being investigated under four charges: influence peddling, money laundering, tax fraud, and smuggling.
Crypto Assets in the Crosshairs: A New Practice for Spanish Justice
Judge José Luis Calama, who is handling this case, is already known for his work with cryptocurrencies — he previously dealt with the high-profile Madeira Invest Club case, which affected over 3,000 people.
Now he has signed an order to seize any cryptocurrency wallets containing BTC and LTC belonging to the former prime minister. Spain's Economic Police have been ordered to locate and freeze these assets. If discovered, the cryptocurrency will be transferred to special custody at the Prosegur crypto vault in Madrid — under a contract for judicial seizure procedures.
Zapatero, for his part, stated that he gives a "voluntary general authorization" for the inspection of his assets and emphasized that he does not keep funds abroad.
This precedent is a clear signal for the entire crypto community. Spanish justice, armed with new EU anti-money laundering rules, demonstrates its readiness to use blockchain tools to trace and seize digital assets. Zapatero may not hold BTC, but the very fact of such an order changes the rules of the game for all public figures and large cryptocurrency holders in the country.