The National Court finally excludes the PSC from the fiscal investigation of the Leire case
The Civil Guard demanded to review all the accounts of Catalan socialists
BarcelonaThe Tax Agency already has on the table a series of requests from the National Court to review the PSOE's accounts, but, on the other hand, it will not have to do so with those of the PSC. Judge Santiago Pedraz has finally excluded the Catalan socialists from the tax requirements, even though the Civil Guard insisted on including the PSC in the investigation. From the PSOE, and from the people implicated in the Leire case, the magistrate is looking for bank accounts, deposits, withdrawals or cash payments and invoices.
The link that the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard finds between the PSC and the alleged scheme headed by Leire Díez is limited to a supposed advertising campaign of 20,000 euros that the party would have contracted with Crónica Libre, the media outlet run by Díez and journalist Patricia López. But the only reference made to this contract in the entire summary is found in some audios published a few months ago by El Confidencial, in which two unidentified people – with digitally altered voices – talk about it.
The judge does not see enough evidence to investigate the PSC's accounts, but does not definitively exclude it from the requests sent this Friday. He demands from the IKI business group, a consultancy that also has a division responsible for relations with the media, all "contracts, invoices, payment justifications and any other related information" with the PSOE and the PSC for the years 2024 and 2025.
In the summary there is an advertising contract from IKI with Crónica Libre during an electoral period. It amounts to 18,125.8 euros intended for various propaganda banners for the PSOE in the context of the European elections. As the amount is similar to the 20,000 euros that the two people mentioned in El Confidencial, the UCO considered that the need to also investigate the PSC's accounts could be argued. The Catalan socialists, incidentally, have denied having had any relationship with either Crónica Libre or IKI Group.