A scandalous case is erupting in a Madrid court, involving attempts to influence investigations targeting prominent politicians and entrepreneurs. Judge Arturo Zamarriego has only begun to unravel the events, and the witness list is already growing rapidly. On the agenda is the testimony of builder Luis del Rivero, who, according to investigators, acted as a link between key suspects and prosecutor Ignacio Stampa.
At the center of attention are former Socialist Leire Díez and businessman Javier Pérez-Dolset. They are suspected of orchestrating a scheme to halt investigations that could harm several politicians and business leaders. After hours of questioning at the Plaza de Castilla court (Madrid), it became clear: the case is only gaining momentum, and the list of names involved is expanding with every hearing.
A Day of Testimonies and Unexpected Revelations
The morning at court began in chaos: Leire Díez was nearly knocked down by the press, and hearings didn’t start until the evening. The judge decided to listen to audio recordings made by prosecutor Stampa, including a meeting in del Rivero’s office and a conversation with fraud suspect Alejandro Hamlyn. Technical glitches and long breaks dragged the proceedings late into the night.
During the hearing, it emerged that Díez and Pérez-Dolset met with former PSOE organizational secretary Santos Cerdán after President Pedro Sánchez published a letter about his wife. Pérez-Dolset said he received recordings from an unknown person, made by the notorious commissioner Villarejo (José Manuel Villarejo), and believed they might be of interest to the Socialists.
An expanding circle of participants
At one of the meetings, current Secretary of State for Telecommunications Antonio Hernando, who at the time worked with the government administration, was also present. According to the accused, journalist Patricia López organized the meetings. Pérez-Dolset also claims he handed over materials about Villarejo’s surveillance not only to PSOE members, but also to politicians from PP, Vox, Podemos, and Junts.
Both defendants insist they do not recognize themselves in the audio recordings, and their lawyers are demanding that the recordings be excluded from the case. Díez claims her activities were solely related to journalistic investigations, and after the data leak, she faced threats and hacking of her personal files.
Next steps for the court
The court must still hear from a number of witnesses to separate facts from speculation. Díez’s defense has already announced plans to call Patricia López, as well as possibly Cerdán and Hernando. Among the potential witnesses are retired judge Manuel García-Castellón and the main accused in the Koldo case, Víctor de Aldama.
Particular attention is focused on the upcoming testimony of Luis del Rivero, former head of Sacyr and a victim of Villarejo’s surveillance. He was present at a key meeting where Díez allegedly presented herself as someone appointed by PSOE and the right hand of Cerdán. His account could be crucial in determining whether this was truly a journalistic investigation or an attempt to exert pressure on the inquiry.
