Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is under investigation over alleged influence peddling and related crimes tied to a €53 million COVID-era bailout of the airline Plus Ultra.

Authorities say his office and other premises were searched, and he has been summoned to testify on June 2 as part of a broader probe into how the bailout was approved.

He is accused by investigators of pressuring officials and potentially benefiting from a network of intermediaries and consulting arrangements, allegations he strongly denies.

The case has become politically sensitive in Spain, with opposition parties using it to criticize both Zapatero and current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Al-Jazeera has reported.

Zapatero insists he committed no wrongdoing and says he had no involvement in the bailout process.