There are at least two alleged offences: tax evasion and smuggling. Further analysis could also establish the date of the donation, thereby clarifying the origin of the valuables and the possible breach of the code of ethics promoted by the former prime minister himself

In court, Julito Martínez had identified him as the mastermind behind a corrupt scheme. But in a television interview, the former Spanish Prime Minister, denying that he had spoken to members of the government – which, during the pandemic, granted a 53 million loan to Plus Ultra – stated that it was all false

The businessman essentially confirmed the prosecution’s case by admitting that the airline was more Venezuelan than Spanish. He also confirmed that he had no political influence whatsoever: he acted merely as an intermediary between the former prime minister and the clients that the latter brought to him

Sánchez scores two partial victories: his wife will stand trial on only two charges, whilst the CJEU has ruled that the amnesty for Catalan leaders is compatible with EU law. However, one year on from the vote, the political problems remain