Smear campaigns & ‘mafia practices’ – the alleged corruption saga against Spain’s PM rolls on

A former associate of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist (PSOE) party has refuted allegations that she orchestrated a smear campaign against a police unit probing corruption claims linked to individuals close to the prime minister.

Leire Díez came under public scrutiny following the leak of audio recordings capturing conversations between her, a senior police officer, and a businessman implicated in on-going corruption investigations.

In the leaked clips, Díez appears to suggest the possibility of judicial leniency for both men in exchange for potentially damaging information about high-ranking officials within the Guardia Civil’s anti-corruption division (UCO).

This particular police unit is currently investigating alleged corruption involving Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez, his brother David Sánchez, and a former top aide, José Luis Ábalos. The recordings have raised concerns that Díez may have sought to derail or influence these inquiries. ALSO READ: Brother of Spanish prime minister to face trial for alleged influence peddling.

Díez, however, moved to defuse the controversy during a press briefing on Wednesday, insisting she was engaged in research for a book and was not acting on behalf of Sánchez or the PSOE.

‘I am not a woman in the shadows. I have been doing investigative work for years,’ she stated, just one day after announcing her resignation from the party.

She also criticised what she described as ‘calculated and fabricated leaks’.

The press conference took a dramatic turn when businessman Víctor de Aldama — a key figure in one of the corruption scandals impacting Sánchez’s administration — attempted to confront Díez directly (main image and link below).

‘She lies and mocks everyone,’ he shouted.

In response to the unfolding scandal, the main opposition, the right-wing People’s Party (PP), has called for a protest in Madrid this Sunday, accusing the government of engaging in ‘mafia practices’. ALSO READ: Former Spanish transport minister ‘given Marbella villa stay for helping airline bailout’.

Alongside the PP, the left-wing Podemos party and Catalonia’s pro-independence party, Esquerra Republicana (ERC), have also urged Prime Minister Sánchez to appear before parliament to address the controversy.

Sánchez has dismissed the investigations targeting his close associates as part of a ‘smear campaign’ driven by right-wing forces aiming to destabilise his administration. ALSO READ: Spanish government to take legal action over PM’s leaked WhatsApp messages.