Spanish police enter ruling Socialist party headquarters over payments linked to Leire Díez

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BEĞENDİM

ABONE OL

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Officers from the Spanish Civil Guard’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) entered Spain’s ruling Socialist Party’s (PSOE) national headquarters on Wednesday to request documentation linked to a sealed section of the Leire Díez case. Díez, the party’s former “fixer,” is currently under investigation for influence peddling.

The Civil Guard has been at the Ferraz street building since early this morning as part of a special operation focusing on a separate and secret aspect of the case, which is also said to involve Vicente Fernández, the former president of the State Company for Industrial Investments (SEPI), a state investment firm. Díez and Fernández were arrested by UCO in December.

The officers will also search the home of PSOE’s Gaspar Zarrías, who was key in the decision to hire Díez.

The judge is looking to determine to what extent Díez was acting on her own or on instructions from her party or the government.

In a statement on Wednesday, PSOE said it had received a “request for documentation from Court No. 5 of the National High Court, as part of proceedings that have been classified as confidential and are unrelated to illegal financing.”

“Of course, this request, which is for documentation, not a search, has been complied with in full cooperation with the party,” the statement continued. “The PSOE will always maintain a stance of full cooperation with the justice system and absolute respect for judicial proceedings.”

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the opposition, commented on the case as he arrived at Congress, saying: “Its extreme seriousness speaks for itself”.

It comes around a week after authorities also searched the offices of former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over the Plus Ultra corruption inquiry.