The chairman of Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, Julio Miguel Martínez Sola, along with the company’s chief executive officer (CEO), Roberto Roselli Miele, were taken into custody on Thursday during an operation spearheaded by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and executed by the National Police’s UDEF unit. The operation involved a search of the airline’s headquarters, where documents and digital storage devices were confiscated, as reported by legal sources referenced by multiple media outlets.
The investigation, now under secrecy of proceedings (sealed), is being managed by Madrid’s Court of Investigation No. 15 and focuses on alleged money laundering. Prosecutors argue that public funds from the 2021 bailout granted to the airline—amounting to €53 million—may have been misappropriated.
After appearing before the court, released under precautionary measures
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 alleged breaches are being examined, and how does the public bailout come into play?
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 core of the case—always on the basis of preliminary indications and according to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s complaint—would be the alleged channelling of illicit funds originating in Venezuela through structures in Europe, with a possible temporal link to fund movements following the bailout. In the Prosecutor’s narrative, possible sources of illicit funds include payments connected to Venezuelan public programs (such as CLAP) and transactions related to 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.
