The Civil Guard enters the headquarters of the PSOE
It is an operation by the UCO within the framework of a secret case related to the Leire Díez case and they are also searching the homes of former socialist leaders Cerdán, Zarrías and the businessman Dolset
MadridThe Civil Guard has entered the PSOE headquarters. The UCO (the Central Operational Unit) appeared at Ferraz street this Wednesday morning to requisition information within the framework of the secret case, in addition to searching the homes of the former PSOE organization secretary Santos Cerdán, the former socialist leader Gaspar Zarrías, and the businessman Javier Pérez Dolset. The news emerged with the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, traveling to Rome, where he was received by Pope Leo XIV, and fifteen minutes before the control session for the Spanish government began in the Congress of Deputies. In other words, it caught the deputies arriving at the lower house off guard.
The leader of the PP, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, made statements before entering the hemicycle: "We are in an agonizing situation, we are questioning not only the decency of the government and the PSOE but there is a risk of contagion. There is no other remedy than to give the word to the Spanish people immediately. We can't take it anymore." And he sent a message to the partners to make a move and stop supporting Sánchez.
The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has quickly counterattacked via X: "They speak of a search when it is a simple request for information. By the way, is it necessary to send the UCO to request information? It's unbelievable".
The spokesperson for ERC in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, has reiterated that the red line for the Republicans is the irregular financing of the PSOE. However, he presented it as a “terrible anomaly” that the Civil Guard enters the headquarters of a political party. “If it happens, we will ask for elections and for the people to decide what should happen with the Spanish government,” he said. Enrique Santiago, leader of Esquerra Unida in Congress, also expressed the same red line: “We have always been prudent, situations of illegal financing cannot be allowed,” he stated. Ione Belarra, from Podem, spoke of “deception” from progressive people.
Why has the UCO made a move?
Díez, Fernández and Alonso. Three days later, on Saturday the 12th, the judge But what is SEPI and the Leire Díez case? It is a second case affecting the former socialist militant, who is also being investigated for bribery and influence peddling for allegedly extorting judges and prosecutors. It is an investigation initiated by Judge Antonio Piña and now assumed by Santiago Pedraz, which seeks to clarify whether Leire Díez and the others named received commissions in exchange for intervening in operations involving "public companies and entities dependent on SEPI".
Within the framework of this investigation, former SEPI president Vicente Fernández and Basque businessman Antxon Alonso, also indicted in the Cerdán case, are also in the crosshairs. This investigation by the National Court came to light five months ago. On Wednesday, December 10, the Civil Guard arrested Díez, Fernández and Alonso. Three days later, on Saturday the 12th, the judge released them with precautionary measures – periodic court appearances and passport withdrawal – after prosecutor Elisa Lamelas did not request pre-trial detention. They are being investigated for the crimes of prevarication, embezzlement, influence peddling, and criminal organization. According to the resolution at that time —the case is now under seal until June 9—, the investigated individuals were part of a group calling itself Hirurok that "could have guided several proceedings followed in public administration, for their own benefit or that of third parties, taking advantage of their position, relationships, and capacity for influence over certain individuals".
This same Tuesday, Leire Díez spoke on Rac 1. To what does she attribute the ongoing investigations? "For a long time I haven't understood anything. Or perhaps I do understand... I don't know what reassures or unsettles me more," she verbalized. She expressed "surprise" at the Civil Guard's actions this morning and attributed the investigation to a "continuous and constant attack" and a "prospecting" that is "based on fake news." "It's more of the same as what I've experienced for a year," she added. "A constant attack from the usual media. We know what Kitchen is. Since it had no consequences, exactly the same thing continues to be done," she stated. From the PSOE, officially, for the moment, they are maintaining silence.