A judge investigating Spain's former Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling has expanded his politically explosive probe to the Socialist's daughters, a court said on Thursday.
The investigation into a titan of the Spanish left comes as a string of other graft probes into Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's family and former top political allies have threatened to topple the government.
Zapatero, who governed Spain from 2004-2011, was placed under formal investigation last month suspected of influence peddling in connection with the €53 million bailout of small airline Plus Ultra in 2021.
Investigating judge José Luis Calama has said evidence exists to suggest Zapatero headed a structure that used "opaque financial channels" to conceal the movement of money and obtain bribes for his manoeuvring to achieve the bailout.
Calama notified Alba and Laura Rodriguez Espinosa "to allow them to appear in the proceedings as persons under investigation and exercise their right of defence", the Audiencia Nacional court said in a statement on Thursday.
