The judge of the 'Plus Ultra case' inadmisses Zapatero's challenge against a jewelry store

The judge of the National Court investigating the "Plus Ultra case", José Luis Calama, has rejected the challenge raised by the former president of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to the second jewelry store required for the new appraisal of the jewelry seized in his office, alleging that there is no "risk" of "partiality" that the defense of the former socialist leader denounced.

In an order to which Europa Press has had access, the magistrate argues that there are "procedural guarantees" that "neutralize any possible risk derived from the appearance of reported bias."

Last week, Zapatero's lawyer requested a recusal due to the "apparent lack of impartiality and objectivity of the expert" which could lead to "a direct interest in the result of the expert's being in accordance with what was publicly stated."

A few days before, the judge asked the Yanes jewelry store to report "on the different aspects of the jewelry pieces, such as the possible identification of the geographical area of ​​creation, the identification of the precious metals, their current replacement value and of the lot as a whole, as well as their age," among others.

All of this is part of the separate piece that Calama opened against the former president for alleged tax and smuggling crimes in relation to the jewelry found in the search of his office, preliminarily valued at 1.3 million euros by the Ansorena jewelry store, considering that their origin "is not justified."