Spain’s Anticorruption Prosecutor has formally backed charges against Juan Manuel Serrano, the former president of Correos and ex-chief of staff to Pedro Sánchez, and supports a forensic analysis of his mobile phone. The position follows a Guardia Civil report describing Serrano’s “prominent role” in an alleged scheme to undermine judicial investigations. The case has drawn impressive attention because of its links to senior PSOE figures and the government. Serrano was formally placed under investigation on 10 July 2026 after investigators identified indications of possible involvement in efforts to interfere with judicial inquiries and a separate public-contracts strand.
The prosecutor’s position, confirmed to EL PAÍS by judicial sources, is a impressive development in the so-called Leire Díez case. On 22 October 2026, Anticorruption prosecutors Elisa Lamelas and Mar Scharfhausen asked the Audiencia Nacional to reject Serrano’s appeal and uphold Judge Santiago Pedraz’s decision to keep his phone under judicial control. The Guardia Civil’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) seized the device, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, on 27 May 2026. Prosecutors called it an original source of potentially relevant information, arguing that it had an objective connection to the investigation and could contain evidence of alleged offences, including influence peddling within a criminal organization.
Anticorruption supports retaining and examining Serrano’s device, but opposes the UCO’s proposal to analyze the phones of Ana Fuentes, the PSOE’s manager, and two other party employees implicated in the investigation. Judge Pedraz will decide how the seized devices are handled and set the scope of any forensic examination. Serrano’s challenge to the continued custody of his phone remains before the Audiencia Nacional. The prosecution’s position concerns preservation and evidentiary relevance, not a final determination of criminal liability.
The UCO report traces one investigative strand to a meeting at PSOE headquarters on Madrid’s Calle Ferraz on 26 April 2024. Messages transcribed in the police report show that Leire Díez contacted Serrano three days later, asking whether they should continue what they had begun at the meeting. Serrano allegedly replied: “In principle, yes, but let’s see how events unfold.” Investigators cite the exchange as part of their inquiry into alleged coordination to affect judicial investigations concerning PSOE interests.
The latest UCO report says Serrano maintained regular contact with Díez, a former PSOE member at the center of the case. Investigators allege that their communications went beyond sporadic exchanges, citing repeated contacts and meetings, some involving Vicente Fernández, the former president of SEPI and another figure under investigation. The UCO reportedly said Serrano helped defend “the interests of certain members of the PSOE or the Government” and that his contacts with Díez were frequent. Díez served as director of Institutional Relations at Correos during Serrano’s tenure as president. Investigators are examining whether their communications and contacts reflected political coordination or arrangements benefiting particular individuals.
Evidence cited by the UCO includes messages between Fernández and Díez, among them assurances that her appointment at Correos was predetermined. Internal communications reportedly show that José Luis Pérez, deputy secretary of the postal company, sent Díez a draft of the job profile she was to occupy and invited her to suggest any changes she deemed necessary. These details have intensified scrutiny of the recruitment process and the possible manipulation of public-sector appointments.
The investigation reaches beyond Serrano and Díez. Former Socialist leaders Santos Cerdán and Gaspar Zarrías are among the reported figures under investigation. Also named are PSOE manager Ana María Fuentes and Guardia Civil Director Mercedes González. The inquiry has two principal strands: alleged attempts to obstruct or undermine judicial investigations to protect PSOE interests, and suspected irregularities in public contracts. Serrano’s defence has referred to the latter as the “SEPI branch.”
A separate allegation concerns Leire Díez, Vicente Fernández and Joseba Antxón Alonso and the proposed rehabilitation of Mercasa’s headquarters. Anticorruption prosecutors reportedly allege that the project’s cost was to be artificially increased by €700,000, with the higher valuation used to justify relocating the company and secure benefits from the associated real-estate operation. Mercasa records reportedly listed six representation expenses linked to meetings involving Díez: three meals between September 2022 and January 2023, when she was a Correos executive, and three further meetings between March and June 2024, when she was identified as a journalist.
The case has already prompted broader political fallout, with senior PSOE officials distancing themselves from those under investigation. María Jesús Montero recently expressed regret over trusting Vicente Fernández as the SEPI scandal widened. The development was covered in a related report on the growing impact of the Leire case within the PSOE.
The court’s decision on Serrano’s appeal and any further analysis of mobile devices will shape how digital evidence is handled in the case. The investigation has raised questions about the integrity of public appointments and alleged influence within public institutions. Correos and SEPI have faced increased scrutiny as investigators examine the extent of the alleged coordination. The PSOE has also come under closer scrutiny. The case highlights the role of digital communications in complex corruption probes and the judicial decisions that govern the balance between investigative needs and individual rights.
