Spanish judge orders analysis of 82 bank accounts, including six from PSOE, in Leire Díez corruption probe
Audiencia Nacional judge Santiago Pedraz has ordered 12 banks to hand over data on 82 accounts linked to the ruling Socialist Party and several defendants, seeking evidence of payments to former party militant Leire Díez and a network allegedly used to obstruct judicial investigations.
The judicial order
Judge Santiago Pedraz of Spain's Audiencia Nacional issued an order on 31 July 2026 opening a separate financial section within the so-called Leire Díez case. The decision, backed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, compels 12 financial institutions to provide information on 82 bank accounts. Six of those accounts belong to the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), held across six different banks. The remaining accounts are linked to individuals and companies already under investigation.
The measure is appropriate on the basis that the possible commission of various public crimes related to corruption is being investigated.
The judge explicitly stated that the separate section is necessary to prevent leaks. Pedraz warned that incorporating the full banking data into the main case file, where popular prosecutions have access, would make its public dissemination "impossible to control." Once the Guardia Civil's Central Operative Unit (UCO) completes its analysis, all documentation deemed irrelevant to the investigation will be purged before any remaining material is transferred to the main proceedings.
The alleged scheme
Prosecutors allege that former PSOE organization secretary Santos Cerdán tasked Leire Díez in April 2024 with coordinating a systematic effort to destabilize any judicial or police proceedings that could impact the party or the government of Pedro Sánchez. The investigation focuses on whether PSOE funds were used to pay members of this network.
Through Cerdán, the PSOE would have made its logistical and financial infrastructure available to the aforementioned group.
According to the UCO, Díez "would have promoted the payment, charged to PSOE party funds, of fees corresponding to lawyers Oliver and Teijelo," who in reality served as a channel for her to receive funds herself. The prosecutor's filing notes that while direct payments from lawyer Jacobo Teijelo to Díez have not yet been proven, Teijelo did receive 125,000 euros from the PSOE for services he never provided and for which he had not been contracted. Ismael Oliver is alleged to have "funnelled" payments from the party to the former militant.
Accounts under scrutiny
The 82 accounts span eight individuals and legal entities. Beyond the six PSOE accounts, the order covers accounts held by former Andalusian regional government vice-president Gaspar Zarrías and his consultancy Zaño Sociedad Consultores SL. Also targeted are lawyer Ismael Oliver, who previously represented Koldo García, and his two companies, Oliver Gruppe SL and Estudio Jurídico Oliver & Partners SL. Oliver and his firms account for 61 of the total accounts. Lawyer Jacobo Teijelo, who defends Santos Cerdán, and the digital media outlet Crónica Libre, co-founded by Leire Díez, complete the list.
Banks must send the information directly to the UCO's Economic Crime Group. Agents are authorized to request clarifications, extensions, or supplementary documentation related to any transaction originating from or ending in the flagged accounts. The order also requires identification of account holders and authorized persons, including names, ID documents, contact details, tax and physical addresses, and debit or credit cards issued.
Investigation timeline
The UCO first requested this financial deep-dive in a police report filed on 1 June 2026. Judge Pedraz then asked the unit to specify which accounts held by the defendants were identified as connected to the payments under investigation. The order issued on 31 July represents the formal launch of that separate financial probe, with the explicit goal of confirming payments already detected and uncovering any additional transfers not yet known to investigators.
- Santos Cerdán allegedly tasks Leire Díez with coordinating efforts to destabilize judicial proceedings affecting PSOE and the government.
- UCO files a police report requesting a deep-dive into bank accounts linked to the defendants.
- Judge Pedraz orders 12 banks to hand over data on 82 accounts and opens a separate sealed financial section.
Broader context
The Leire Díez case, also referred to in Spanish media as the "PSOE sewers" case, has been under investigation at the Audiencia Nacional. Alongside Díez, those formally charged include Santos Cerdán, former PSOE organization secretary, and lawyers Jacobo Teijelo and Ismael Oliver. The PSOE has previously acknowledged financing travel expenses for Leire Díez, but the judge considers that information insufficient and is now pursuing a full trace of funds originating from the party's headquarters on Ferraz street in Madrid.
