Spain's former Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been placed under investigation for alleged influence peddling and related crimes, a court said on Tuesday.
Zapatero, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2011, has been summoned to testify on 2 June, Spain's top criminal court said in a statement.
The case centres on the bailout of Venezuela-linked airline Plus Ultra during the COVID-19 pandemic, years after Zapatero had left office.
The airline received a €53 million public loan in March 2021 from a government fund set up to support strategic companies hit by the crisis.
He denied any wrongdoing related to the bailout in a Senate hearing in March, saying he "never received any commissions from Plus Ultra."
