Who is who in the plot that points to the PSOE: a "criminal structure" to "obstruct" judicial cases

MadridOne year and one day after Leire Díez, known as the PSOE's plumber, burst into the news, her name has once again been strongly heard. In the last 366 days, Santos Cerdán has resigned as number 3 of the PSOE, has gone to prison and has been released, and Díez has gone from anonymity to the political forefront. And now the National Court has definitively connected their paths. Judge Santiago Pedraz believes that, along with other people, they concocted a network with the aim of "systematically and continuously destabilizing and hindering" any judicial case that could splash Pedro Sánchez. Santos Cerdán, who was the "leader" and made the "strategic" decisions, commissioned Leire Díez in April 2024 to "coordinate and execute" all actions. The plan involved offering "remunerations or favors" to Civil Guard officers, investigators, or prosecutors "in exchange for information or acts contrary to the exercise of their duties." The focus was particularly on judges who were beginning to investigate Pedro Sánchez's wife and brother.

In fact, according to the judge, the "turning point" was a meeting held in Ferraz on April 26, 2024, two days after the indictment of Begoña Gómez became known and Pedro Sánchez published the letter to the citizens and began five days of reflection to consider his future. A year ago, when the alleged sewers of the PSOE came to light, Leire Díez wanted to erect a firebreak with the party and presented herself as a journalist who was conducting an investigation. Despite this, Santiago Pedraz now makes it clear that the one pulling the strings was Santos Cerdán, who put the party's structure "at the disposal" of the alleged network: the PSOE financed the cost of the actions and logistics, allowed the use of workers, and hosted meetings. The case concerns nine crimes: criminal organization, crime against the institutions of the State, multiple counts of bribery, prevarication, influence peddling, disclosure of secrets, incitement to false testimony, false accusation, and forgery in a commercial document. Who are the other involved parties?

The manager of the PSOE

One of the novelties is the imputation of Ana María Fuentes, who has been a manager of the PSOE since October 2021. The judge believes she was "complicit" in some of the crimes and attributes to her a possible crime of forgery in commercial documents for having issued false invoices that allowed the money to reach Leire Díez. She prepared an "apparent documentary support" and "fallacious invoicing" to facilitate the concealment of payments.

Leire Díez's collaborating businessman

The businessman Javier Pérez Dolset, who collaborated with Leire Díez, is also being investigated. According to the judge, he joined the alleged plot for "personal interests," as he had several open cases before the National Court. He attempted to provide compromising information about prosecutor José Grinda, who was investigating him, and sought information that would tarnish the commanders of the Civil Guard or the head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Alejandro Luzón.

The former Andalusian vice-president and a lawyer

The payments made by the PSOE to Leire Díez were disguised through the companies of Gaspar Zarrías and Ismael Oliver. The former was vice-president and minister of the Presidency of Andalusia. His office was a "vehicle" for the PSOE to send Leire Díez four payments of 4,000 euros. For his part, Oliver began to get involved after Víctor de Aldama was released from prison in November 2024. The PSOE paid a company of his 27,225 euros that were intended for Leire Díez and he, to break the traceability of the funds, sent the same amount to the PSOE's "plumber" from another company.

Cerdán's lawyer and a civil guard

Two new suspects are Jacobo Teijelo, Santos Cerdán's lawyer, and Juan Sánchez Yepes, a civil guard who is also indicted in a hydrocarbons case. The judge holds the lawyer responsible for making a company available to channel money directed to Leire Díez and points out that he would have received at least 125,000 euros from the PSOE.

Santos Cerdán's former right-hand man and the former president of Correus

There are two more names. The judge believes they would have helped in "concrete and isolated" acts, but considers that it will be necessary to wait for the investigation to advance to specify their responsibility. They are Juan Francisco Serrano, who was Santos Cerdán's right-hand man when he was the Organization Secretary of the PSOE, and Juan Manuel Serrano, who was president of Correos from 2018 to 2023. The former continues to be a deputy in Congress and, therefore, if the judge believes there are grounds to indict him, he would have to refer the case to the Supreme Court, which would require the lower house to approve a request for authorization.

The former president of SEPI and Cerdán's partner

Together with Leire Díez, the first two investigated in the case – who were also arrested in December – were Vicente Fernández – president of SEPI from 2018 to 2019 – and Antxon Alonso – businessman, owner of Servinabar, alleged partner of Santos Cerdán and investigated for alleged irregularities in public works tenders –. All three had a group on a secure messaging application called Hirurok.

What does the judge say now? He has discovered contacts between Vicente Fernández and Santos Cerdán in 2018: the socialist had "interest" in maintaining "capacity for influence and decision-making" in SEPI. Subsequently, from 2019 onwards, Vicente Fernández and Leire Díez allegedly maintained a personal relationship when she was head of communication for ENUSA – a public company owned by SEPI–. The circle closed in June 2021, when Vicente Fernández joined Servinabar, Antxon Alonso's company.