The investigating judge at the Audiencia Nacional, José Luis Calama, on 25 September 2026 released the Dutch financier Simon Leendert Verhoeven in connection with the case Plus Ultra on provisional release. His release is subject to conditions: Verhoeven may not Spain leave Spain, must provide a fixed address and must report to the authorities at short, regularly scheduled intervals — every two days, according to media reports. Calama cited the principle of proportionality and the need to ensure his continued availability for the proceedings.
According to consistent reports, Verhoeven had previously been arrested in Germany and handed over to the Spanish authorities on 24 September 2026. Investigators consider him a central figure in a network of companies and financial flows being examined as part of the state bailout of the airline Plus Ultra. Investigators attribute a key role to Verhoeven in structuring loans and transactions; the allegations are not final and are still being investigated.
With its decision, the court is continuing the proceedings under judicial supervision and, for now, waiving continued remand in custody. The Public Prosecutor’s Office, represented in this case by Fiscalía Anticorrupción has expressed concerns about the release and may challenge the conditions or submit further requests for evidence. The investigation remains international in scope; according to judicial sources, requests for legal assistance concern Germany, France and Switzerland as well as Spain.
The central question remains whether, and how, funds from the rescue mechanism for Plus Ultra, administered by the state holding company SEPI have flowed into other financial channels. Specific assets, detailed individual allegations and the assessment of the precautionary measures will be left to upcoming hearings before the competent judge. According to earlier media reports, if detention had continued, the plan was to hold him at Soto del Real prison; this is no longer necessary following the release under conditions now ordered.
Judge Calama’s decision marks an interim procedural step, not a pre-judgment on the merits. What is clear is that Verhoeven remains subject to the jurisdiction of the Spanish courts, while the Audiencia Nacional continues to investigate the financial flows surrounding Plus Ultra.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).