The Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police reflects, in reports accessed by EL PAÍS, that days before the official approval of the bailout of the airline Plus Ultra, Julio Martínez Martínez, a friend of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, had privileged information about the operation, as he congratulated Rodolfo Reyes, the owner of the company, on obtaining the loan. The investigators also mention that a week before the Council of Ministers gave the green light to the bailout, there was a celebratory lunch with oysters and champagne between Roberto Roselli, the company’s financial director, and Julio Martínez Sola, its president, a banquet about which Martínez Martínez jokingly commented in a group chat that SEPI — the entity that rescued the airline — did not approve of those expenses.
—Relax, that comes out of the 1% —responded Roselli referring to the commission the company gave to businessman Julio Martínez Martínez for obtaining the bailout.
The lunch took place the same day José Ángel Partearroyo, a senior official of SEPI, warned that the bailout would be approved. However, UDEF investigators point out that the friend of former president Zapatero had “privileged information” and that on February 26 he congratulated the airline owner in a message. “Already in the last days to obtain the SEPI loan, very likely at the Council of Ministers on March 9. My greatest congratulations for achieving the goal,” Martínez wrote to Reyes on February 26, 2021. “Without a doubt, it has been the result of the exceptional work carried out by the Plus Ultra team. I have been informed and congratulated on this excellent work by SEPI itself,” he added.
The investigators consider that “the fact that the visible head of the influence network communicates by text message the achievement of the sought result, that is, the notification of obtaining the public aid, denotes and evidences prior and extraprocedural knowledge of the resolution’s content,” since at that time “the meeting of the FASEE Management Council” had not even been held, the Strategic Companies Solvency Support Fund managed by SEPI, which met on March 2, 2021, to make the decision.
The report also includes Reyes’s response to the friend of former president Zapatero: “Thanks for the support. Difficult times that can only be overcome with the support of friends and good relationships. Plus Ultra was doing very well in its development plan, unfortunately COVID set us back a few squares. But well, with the help and the team we will move forward.”
The day FASEE approved the aid to Plus Ultra, José Ángel Partearroyo, from SEPI, informs the company president, Julio Martínez Sola, that everything has been approved: “All ok already approved conditioned on your ok to the contracts and the Council of Ministers after your ok,” Partearroyo writes to Martínez Sola, according to the UDEF report. In that same message thread, Partearroyo warned: “No press until the Council of Ministers please.”
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That same March 2, according to a conversation accessed by the investigators “in a group chat called PU,” it is inferred that “a lunch is being held” between Julio Martínez Sola and Roberto Roselli, of which there is a photo of Martínez Sola on a terrace with a plate of oysters and a bottle of champagne. In that message thread, Julio Martínez Martínez warns: “SEPI does not approve those expenses.” To this, Roselli responds: “Relax, that comes out of the 1%,” referring to the contract signed between Plus Ultra and Idella Consulenza Stratégica — a company owned by Julio Martínez Martínez — in which it was agreed that if public aid was granted, he would receive 1% plus VAT of the amount through his company. “Then, approved,” Martínez Martínez concludes.
The UDEF report accessed by EL PAÍS includes a series of messages forwarded by Julio Martínez Sola to Rodolfo Reyes indicating that “only some people are aware” of the bailout approval, among them Julio Martínez Martínez.
—Good news Rodolfo —says Julio Martínez Sola to Reyes on March 2 after receiving the “ok” from José Ángel Partearroyo.
—I’ll have a rum now —Reyes replies.
—Noooo. Coffee with liquor. Loaded. Only Santiago, Roberto, Tetero, Tocayo, and you know. We must not tell anyone for now. Logically whoever you want —adds Martínez Sola.
—Quietly we look better —Reyes responds.
UDEF investigators conclude that from the conversations it is inferred that Julio Martínez Martínez “would have had privileged access to SEPI’s information,” since the messages prior to the lunch between Martínez Sola and Roselli announce that the airline would be bailed out and, at that moment, the investigators emphasize, “the FASEE Management Council meeting had not even been held.” UDEF speaks of “capacity to access privileged information of the influence network, as well as interference in the normal development of the decision-making process.”
