Moncloa denies connection between Sánchez and Leire Díez while ruling out legal action

Thursday 29 May 2025 - 16:36

By: Zahouani Ilham

Moncloa denies connection between Sánchez and Leire Díez while ruling out legal action

The Spanish government has denied any official or personal ties between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Leire Díez, a former PSOE official accused of offering a deal to a businessman in exchange for compromising information about the Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard (UCO). Sources close to Sánchez insist that Díez does not work under his authority nor enjoys his trust. They also dismissed claims of a government-led campaign against the UCO, stating that no such initiative exists.

The controversy stems from a recently leaked audio in which a businessman implicates Sánchez and his close ally Santos Cerdán. Moncloa argues the recordings are taken out of context and lack legal merit. According to government officials, the narrative being constructed is part of a fabricated political scandal intended to sway public opinion and create a false impression of governmental disorder. They accuse the opposition, particularly the Partido Popular (PP), of exploiting the issue to rally protests, including one planned for June 8.

The government maintains there is no corruption case and denounces the comparisons made by PP to previous scandals like the Gürtel case. They emphasize that neither Díez nor businessman Javier Pérez Dolset acts as unofficial agents for Sánchez. Given the lack of substantiating evidence, Moncloa has ruled out pursuing legal action.

Despite mounting pressure, Sánchez has refrained from publicly addressing the audios, even during recent press-accessible events. Moncloa argues that responding would lend legitimacy to what they describe as baseless accusations. Meanwhile, other top officials, including Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero and Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, have spoken out, reaffirming that Díez was not acting under PSOE orders and framing the situation as a coordinated smear campaign by right-wing forces.