The judge rejects the Prosecutor's thesis that Zapatero's jewels were a misappropriated gift

The judge José Luis Calama has rejected the prosecution's request to add the charge of embezzlement against former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero regarding jewels valued at one million euros. The judge maintains charges of smuggling and tax fraud but argues that if the jewels were a gift from the Saudi king, there was no obligation to return them. He notes that the law requiring public officials to return gifts was enacted in 2013, after Zapatero's presidency. Calama emphasizes that accepting the prosecution's view would lead to an unpredictable legal interpretation. He suspects the jewels may have a different origin and has ordered an investigation into their provenance, while halting tax inspections related to Zapatero and his family.