Scandal surrounding the meeting between former socialist Leire Díez, prosecutor Ignacio Stampa, and several businessmen is back in the spotlight. For Spaniards, this story matters not only because of the high-profile names involved, but also due to its potential impact on corruption investigations reaching the highest levels of government. The new testimonies could shift the case and shape how transparent government institutions are perceived.
On Monday, businessman Luis del Rivero, former head of construction company Sacyr, testified in the Leire Díez case. He was the one who organized the meeting between Díez and prosecutor Stampa, who recorded a conversation where Díez called herself the ‘right hand’ of former PSOE organizational secretary Santos Cerdán. Previously, accounts from participants differed, making Del Rivero’s statement crucial for investigators.
Del Rivero stated that he expected Cerdán himself to attend and that the conversation aimed to support Stampa in his disputes with the Ministry of Justice. The meeting took place on May 7, 2025, at Del Rivero’s office. According to Stampa, Cerdán was supposed to attend on behalf of PSOE, which Del Rivero also confirmed. However, instead, Leire Díez and businessman Javier Pérez-Dolset showed up, and both are now suspects in the case. Investigators believe they attempted to obtain information about the leadership of the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office and the Civil Guard in order to intervene in ongoing investigations involving politicians.
Different accounts from participants
According to Stampa, Díez and Dolset were interested in the Kitchen case, which involved attempts to conceal financial information about the Partido Popular, as well as the fate of prosecutor Alejandro Luzón and other representatives of the judicial system. In exchange, they allegedly offered Stampa assistance in his dispute with the Ministry of Justice and promised to restore him to his former position, which he left after the scandal.
Leire Díez, on the other hand, claimed she was acting as a journalist gathering material for a book. She stated that any suggestions made were only a way to obtain more information from the interviewee. Del Rivero explained that his intermediary was Pérez-Dolset, as both of them considered themselves victims of surveillance by former police officer José Manuel Villarejo. It was Pérez-Dolset who informed Del Rivero that Cerdán would also be present at the meeting. In his conversation with Stampa, Del Rivero stressed that their task was to ‘observe, listen, and remain silent.’
Lawyers sought to clarify what specific assistance Stampa had provided. The matter concerned support in Stampa’s lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice, which failed to assign him a position at the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office in 2020. These circumstances are the basis for the suspicions of corruption and influence peddling involving Díez and Pérez-Dolset. However, Del Rivero was evasive in his answers, only stating that he had hoped for an end to resistance from the prosecution and the state’s legal counsel regarding compensation for Stampa.
Unexpected messages
Two days after the meeting, Stampa received a WhatsApp message from Del Rivero: ‘Breakfast. Very satisfied. Full support.’ The correspondence also mentioned: ‘They plan to propose 1 complaint from Vox.’ Lawyers repeatedly tried to find out who was behind ‘1’, but Del Rivero gave no specific answer.
Del Rivero revealed that a second meeting had been planned to clarify proposals for supporting Stampa. This time, he requested that someone of a higher rank than Díez from PSOE attend. However, the meeting never took place: media reports emerged that Díez had met with businessmen linked to fuel scams and offered them prosecutorial assistance in exchange for information on corruption within law enforcement.
Connection to previous events
In the context of this case, it is worth recalling how RUSSPAIN.COM previously reported on the mysterious meetings and Cerdán’s silence. Unexpected confessions and the handover of documents with the potential to affect the investigation attracted attention. The article examined in detail the particulars of Villarejo’s audio recordings and discussed how the participants’ actions could have shifted the course of the case. For more on how the story evolved, see the previous report.
Context and consequences
Scandals involving attempts to influence corruption investigations have become increasingly common in Spain in recent years. Such cases often trigger reviews of proceedings and reshuffles within the prosecutor’s office and law enforcement agencies. One only needs to recall the infamous Kitchen case, where efforts to conceal evidence and interfere with the investigation also took place. Each new episode adds tension between politicians, business, and law enforcement, while public trust in the country’s institutions continues to face serious challenges.
