Cristina Narbona, president of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), appeared this week before the National Court, or Audiencia Nacional, as a witness in the ongoing investigation involving Leire Díez, a former party member. Narbona denied knowing about any internal scheme or the actions under scrutiny. Led by Judge Santiago Pedraz, the investigation concerns allegations of a structure seeking compromising information about people in the justice system, including judges and prosecutors, as well as Guardia Civil investigators and witnesses. It also examines alleged efforts to undermine politically sensitive proceedings. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination.
The court session followed a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators focused on WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) conversations between Narbona and Díez, particularly around the time Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez released his public letter on April 24, 2024. The letter came after news that Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, was under investigation over alleged influence peddling and business corruption. A report by the Guardia Civil’s Central Operational Unit (UCO) said Díez offered Narbona “qualified help” to manage the situation and counter attacks against the Prime Minister. Narbona replied by referring to an earlier conversation between Díez and Santos Cerdán, then the party’s secretary of organization.
Narbona said she first met Díez in Santander in 2017 and had little contact with her in the following months. She said she never received files or sensitive information from Díez. When Díez approached her claiming to know “impressive facts,” Narbona understood her to mean something unrelated to the current investigation. She said she directed Díez to Cerdán, who later told her that nothing of interest had been presented. Díez sent further messages, but Narbona kept her distance and reiterated that she had no involvement.
At her court appearance, Narbona described the case file as containing “worrying indications” about Díez’s conduct, while stressing her respect for the presumption of innocence. She said she had given the judge all relevant information and expressed confidence in the judicial process. The inquiry remains active as investigators examine whether anyone within the PSOE had knowledge of, or coordinated, the alleged activity. Narbona appeared as a witness; the wider allegations do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by her.
The investigation also examines alleged document and contracting activity within the PSOE’s administration. The UCO’s reported investigative theory concerns two professional engagement documents and the role of party manager Ana María Fuentes Pacheco, including the alleged processing of documents and invoices investigators considered potentially false. Fuentes reportedly told investigators that Cerdán had decided to hire lawyers Jacobo Teijelo and Ismael Oliver. These remain investigative allegations, not final judicial findings. This line of inquiry is separate from Narbona’s testimony.
In a later procedural step, Pedraz gave the PSOE 48 hours to provide contracts involving lawyers and consultancies, after the party reportedly failed to meet an earlier request. At that point, the judge had not declared the party an investigated legal entity and was awaiting further investigative steps, including Cerdán’s statement. The case has also been reported to touch on the Koldo proceedings. Documents examined by the court reportedly referred to messages between Díez and lawyer Ismael Oliver after businessman Víctor de Aldama was released from prison on November 21, 2024, and to discussion of a possible legal strategy. Those reported exchanges are part of the inquiry, not a judicial conclusion.
Other investigative strands involve alleged links to the state-owned Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI). Reports have described a group called Hirurok, which included Díez and former SEPI president Vicente Fernández, alongside businessman Antxon Alonso. UCO material cited in reporting placed contacts between Fernández and Cerdán as early as 2018. Fernández led SEPI from June 23, 2018, to October 4, 2019. Separately, investigators reportedly found a contract under which Cerdán acquired a 45% stake in Servinabar for €6,000. These details concern the wider investigation and do not establish that Narbona took part in any alleged scheme.
The case forms part of broader legal scrutiny of the party’s leadership and associates. Recent developments involving the Prime Minister’s brother have also drawn national attention, as detailed in a related report on the government’s response to the Badajoz court ruling. The cases add to the challenges facing Spain’s political establishment as it confronts allegations of misconduct and questions about public trust.
Spain’s Audiencia Nacional handles complex cases with impressive political implications. In the Díez investigation, the court is pursuing testimony and documentary evidence, including contracts and invoices, along with agendas and communications. The proceedings are ongoing, and no final judicial ruling has resolved the allegations.
