The chairman of Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, Julio Miguel Martínez Sola, and the company’s chief executive officer (CEO), Roberto Roselli Miele, were arrested on Thursday as part of an operation led by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and carried out by the National Police’s UDEF unit. The operation included a search of the airline’s headquarters and the seizure of documents and digital storage devices, according to legal sources cited by several media outlets.
The inquiry, currently under secrecy of proceedings (sealed), is overseen by Madrid’s Court of Investigation No. 15 and centers on suspected money laundering. Prosecutors contend that public funds from the 2021 bailout provided to the airline—€53 million in total—might have been misappropriated.
Released under precautionary measures after appearing before the court
After being detained, the executives were brought this Saturday to the courts in Madrid, where they appeared before the duty court (Investigating Court No. 13). The judge mandated their release with precautionary measures: surrendering their passports, a prohibition on leaving Spain, and regular court check-ins. Based on the published information, the suspects exercised their right to remain silent, a typical choice in proceedings that have been declared confidential.
Which offences are being investigated, and why the public bailout is involved
According to Cadena SER, the individuals in custody are tentatively accused of crimes like money laundering, misappropriation, and criminal organization. However, the ultimate legal categorization will hinge on how the investigation unfolds and what becomes evident once the confidentiality order is revoked.
The essence of the case—based on initial indications and as per the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s report—might involve the supposed redirection of illicit funds originating in Venezuela via European frameworks, potentially linked in time to fund movements post-bailout. According to the Prosecutor’s account, potential origins of these illicit funds could involve payments associated with Venezuelan public initiatives (like CLAP) and dealings concerning gold.
Cadena SER introduces a significant procedural detail: Anti-Corruption prosecutors are said to have initially tried to bring the case to the National Court (Audiencia Nacional), which refused jurisdiction, leading the complaint to ultimately land in Investigating Court No. 15. Additionally, it is mentioned that an earlier investigation into the bailout was dismissed, and this fresh line of inquiry has been initiated as a separate case file, a move that the defense teams are already contesting.
Who are Julio Miguel Martínez Sola and Roberto Roselli Miele?
In public corporate registry records, the name Julio Miguel Martínez Sola is associated with Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, S.A. Meanwhile, Roberto Roselli Miele is listed by his full name in the airline’s corporate documents, including the 2024 notice calling for the General Shareholders’ Meeting, which specifically mentions the “Appointment of the Board Member, Mr. Roberto Roselli Miele.”
With the suspects freed under precautionary measures, the case transitions into a more technical stage: examining the confiscated material, tracking transactions and the movement of funds, and possibly issuing additional summonses or expanding charges if evidence is solidified. As long as the proceedings stay sealed, evidentiary details will primarily be confined to what surfaces from judicial sources and the court rulings that are made public.