The former director of the Tax Agency, Soledad Fernández, attends the Senate this Monday to testify before the investigation committee regarding the management of SEPI, just a few days after leaving her position.
The former general director of the State Agency for Tax Administration (AEAT), Soledad Fernández Doctor, appears this Monday, July 13, at 11:00 am before the Senate investigation committee on the State Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI). This meeting comes just days after her departure from the agency, which she led for four years.
The change at the top of the AEAT occurred following the appointment of Antonio Ansón Latorre as the new director. The Government has defended that Fernández's departure was requested by her months ago and was agreed upon for after the income campaign. However, the Popular Party has maintained its request for her appearance to clarify the agency's management during her tenure.
The focus on the Plus Ultra case and Zapatero's jewels
One of the key points of the interrogation will be the AEAT's actions regarding the separate case opened for the jewels found in the office of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is being investigated in the Plus Ultra case. The Tax Agency communicated its favourable opinion to the State Attorney's Office to join that investigation, but the PP has questioned the timing employed by the Treasury.
The Ministry led by María Jesús Montero has denied any connection between Fernández's departure and the controversy. Nevertheless, the Popular Party wants to know what information the AEAT received, when it became aware of the facts, and what actions it initiated. The witness will also need to clarify the coordination with the State Attorney's Office and the judicial bodies.
For readers interested in the case, this appearance is key as it may shed light on whether there were intentional delays in the Treasury's actions. The opposition suspects that the change in the AEAT aims to evade political responsibilities, while the Executive insists it is an ordinary renewal.
A departure amidst a leadership renewal
Fernández's departure coincides with a profound renewal at the top of the Tax Agency, which has also affected the Inspection and Collection departments. This movement has fueled doubts about a possible internal crisis, although the Treasury maintains that the changes were part of a previously agreed transition and unrelated to any judicial investigation.
Soledad Fernández previously appeared in the Senate in February 2025 regarding the Koldo case. On that occasion, she defended that the AEAT had reviewed the VAT on the buying and selling of masks during the pandemic. Now, the focus is on SEPI and the public rescue of Plus Ultra, an airline that received 53 million euros from the support fund for the solvency of strategic companies.
This Monday's appearance occurs in a context of maximum political tension. The PP has announced that it will also ask about the coordination between the AEAT and the State Attorney's Office, as well as the criteria used to join judicial cases. The session, which is expected to be lengthy, could mark a turning point in the parliamentary investigation.
For citizens, the case has a direct impact: the use of public funds in corporate rescues and the possible concealment of assets by senior officials is under investigation. Transparency in the management of the AEAT is essential to ensure equality before the law.
The Senate investigation committee will continue its work in the coming weeks, with new appearances scheduled. Soledad Fernández's testimony is just one piece in a puzzle that the PP hopes to complete to demonstrate alleged irregularities in SEPI's management under Pedro Sánchez's Government.
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