The Plus Ultra investigation has widened its scope to include Alba and Laura Rodríguez Espinosa, daughters of former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, after Spain’s National Court identified financial transactions and transfers linked to companies suspected of forming part of an alleged influence-peddling and money laundering network.
Judicial investigators have pointed to the sisters as the official directors of Whathefav, a communications and marketing agency that Judge José Luis Calama says allegedly functioned as a final recipient company within the structure being examined, and it is believed that the firm obtained substantial payments from businesses now under scrutiny, including Análisis Relevante and Inteligencia Prospectiva.
According to court documents, investigators suspect that part of those funds may have been used to redistribute payments within Zapatero’s family circle. Spain’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) believes some of the financial operations detected show characteristics consistent with possible concealment and channeling of funds.
The investigation asserts that Whathefav was paid close to €1 million by various companies allegedly connected to the network under investigation, and although some transfers were said to cover communication, design, and marketing services, the judge is now assessing whether any real professional work was performed to justify the invoiced sums.
One of the main focuses of the investigation is the financial relationship between Whathefav and Análisis Relevante, a consultancy owned by businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, a close associate of Zapatero who was arrested last December. According to investigators, the consultancy may have been used to channel funds connected to suspicious operations surrounding the Plus Ultra bailout.
Spain’s National Court is likewise investigating money transfers traced back to Inteligencia Prospectiva, a company the judge has characterized as “incongruent” because of its minimal stated business activity contrasted with its unusually large financial transactions. A portion of these funds reportedly ended up in accounts associated with the company owned by Zapatero’s daughters.
Searches carried out by the UDEF included Whathefav’s offices, where investigators seized computers, mobile phones, and corporate documentation to analyze the traceability of funds and the business relationships between the companies involved in the case.
The judge suspects that the supposed network headed by Zapatero may have relied on shell firms, broad invoicing practices, and fabricated records to legitimize money movements and hide the true source of specific payments, and within that setup, his daughters’ company is said to emerge as one of the ultimate beneficiaries of those funds.
Although Alba and Laura Rodríguez Espinosa have not yet faced formal charges, the inquiry remains ongoing into potential crimes such as money laundering, document forgery, and involvement in a criminal organization.
As the judicial process continues, Zapatero’s inner circle maintains that all of his daughters’ professional activities were legal and properly declared.
Source: Onda Cero https://www.ondacero.es/noticias/espana/que-papel-tienen-hijas-zapatero-empresa-whathefav-presunta-trama-plus-ultra_202605206a0d920d3e118765937df2f0.html
