The investigation into the so-called ‘Caso Leire’ took a new turn after Madrid judge Arturo Zamarriego transferred the case to Spain’s National Court, the Audiencia Nacional. In his ruling, Zamarriego said the three individuals initially under scrutiny, Leire Díez, Javier Pérez Dolset and Pere Rusiñol, may have played secondary roles in a wider alleged network. The decision followed indications that people with greater authority could have been involved in efforts to interfere with judicial proceedings affecting the PSOE and the Spanish government.
The case is now before National Court investigating judge Santiago Pedraz and has expanded beyond Díez to include former PSOE organization secretary Santos Cerdán. Zamarriego’s resolution, dated August 11, ordered the transfer of the case file, including its separate investigative strands, to Pedraz. He found the matters sufficiently connected to be handled together. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not been established by a final judicial ruling.
Investigators are examining whether an alleged structure sought compromising information about judges and prosecutors, as well as officers of the Guardia Civil’s Unidad Central Operativa (UCO). The alleged group may also have sought to discredit investigators and witnesses and disrupt politically sensitive proceedings. The UCO’s work features prominently in the inquiry into how the alleged activity may have extended from Díez to more senior figures. The case has been described as the “cloacas de Ferraz” investigation, reflecting allegations that it touched on proceedings involving the PSOE and the government, as well as people close to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The allegations include claims that Díez offered payments or favors in exchange for information that could harm senior Civil Guard officers and members of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators are also examining whether she received financial or other backing from Cerdán, who was the PSOE’s number three at the time, and whether party funds were used to compensate her. These remain investigative allegations, not findings of guilt.
The inquiry has also prompted scrutiny of the PSOE’s professional-services contracts. On October 20, 2026, Pedraz ordered the party to provide a complete list of lawyers, law firms and consulting firms hired by its basic or territorial bodies between 2021 and 2025, along with records of their assignments and services. The request followed an earlier order to which, information from the court’s account, the party had not responded. Reporting on October 23 described a further deadline of 15 days, after an earlier 48-hour deadline had also been reported.
A UCO report cited in the proceedings alleges that PSOE general manager Ana María Fuentes handled two professional engagement documents through Díez and under Cerdán’s direction, and that the documents may have been falsified. The court’s request for the party’s contracting records is relevant to an inquiry into whether professional-services arrangements were connected to the alleged transfer of funds or other support. Lawyers Jacobo Teijelo and Ismael Oliver have also been identified in reporting as professionals whose PSOE engagements are being examined. No final judicial determination has been made on these allegations.
The investigation has also reached contracting matters involving public company Mercasa, Servinabar 2000 and Cerdán. An internal Mercasa audit dated June 17, 2026, reportedly said Servinabar had prepared a technical study before the procurement process began, a sequence it described as a breach of the company’s internal rules. The audit and related documents were sent to the UCO and incorporated into Pedraz’s proceedings on October 19. Anticorruption prosecutors have alleged that the cost of a rehabilitation project was inflated by about €700,000. That claim also remains under investigation.
The development follows the Madrid court’s decision to halt its own inquiry and transfer the matter to the Audiencia Nacional. A related report also covered the transfer to Judge Pedraz. For more background on the procedural shift and its implications, see this recent report.
The case has drawn attention because of its potential implications for Spain’s political field and the judiciary’s handling of alleged attempts to influence legal proceedings. Its expansion to cover senior political figures and party contracting records, along with public-company matters, shows the breadth of the inquiry. The allegations remain under investigation, further procedural steps are pending, and no final judgment has been issued on the alleged network.
