Spanish police raid ruling party's headquarters looking for documents
by Lisa Hornung · UPIMay 27 (UPI) -- Police raided the headquarters of Spain's ruling Socialist Party in Madrid on Wednesday, adding pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after several corruption scandals involving his allies.
Spain's National Court confirmed the raid in which the Civil Guard's elite Central Operative Unit was sent looking for evidence of an alleged plot to discredit critics suing the government. The court called it an alleged "plot aimed at destabilizing judicial proceedings affecting this party or the Government."
The raid was for documentation linked to a sealed section of the case of the party's former "fixer" Maria Leire Díez, who is under investigation for influence peddling, Euro News reported.
In a statement on Wednesday, PSOE (the Socialist Party) said it is fully complying with the investigation.
"Of course, this request, which is for documentation, not a search, has been complied with in full cooperation with the party," the statement said. "The PSOE will always maintain a stance of full cooperation with the justice system and absolute respect for judicial proceedings."
The court said it's leading the prosecution of former Secretary of Organization of the PSOE Santos Cerdán, Díez, business man Javier Pérez Dolset, former Minister of the Presidency of the Junta de Andalucía Gaspar Zarrías and lawyer Ismael Oliver for crimes of criminal organization, multiple crimes of bribery, disclosure of secrets, inducement to false testimony, false accusation, falsification of commercial documents, prevarication [giving misleading or vague information to avoid the truth], influence peddling and crimes against the institutions of the state.
The court also announced the indictment of Ana Fuentes, manager of the PSOE party's organization secretariat "as an accomplice, in the commission of the aforementioned crimes, and, in any case, as the perpetrator of the possible crime of falsifying commercial documents by issuing false invoices." Fuentes has run the party's finances since 2021.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the center-right People's Party, said "[The raid's] extreme seriousness speaks for itself." Feijóo has called for Sánchez to resign, but he has resisted. Sánchez said he will not step down before the legislative term ends in August 2027.
"I cannot call elections for partisan interests; I have to call elections for the general interest of the citizens," Sánchez told reporters in Rome after his recent meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
The charges are the latest in a string of corruption scandals plaguing Sánchez, his family and his party.
Last week, the National Court indicted former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, a key Sánchez ally, on charges of money laundering, influence peddling and other criminal offenses in connection with the 2021 bailout of Plus Ultra airlines.
Sánchez's party's allies in Parliament that helped form his coalition are becoming hesitant to associate with him.
Aitor Esteban, leader of the Basque Nationalist Party, said on Sunday that Sánchez should call snap elections before the end of the year.
"There are already nine open cases, now Zapatero," he said. "It would be irresponsible to continue beyond 2026 without direction, without a budget, without a stable majority and with an agenda that is out of control and plagued by court cases."
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