Police raid PSOE headquarters amid corruption scandal
Officers from the Central Operational Unit raided the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid as part of an investigation into alleged illegal financing of the party.
Police raid PSOE headquarters amid corruption scandal
Officers from the Central Operational Unit (UCO) carried out a search at the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in Madrid. The operation is part of an investigation into alleged illegal financing of the ruling party, according to Politico.
The raid took place just one week after the Supreme Court charged former Government President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero with suspected money laundering, abuse of influence and other offences. Zapatero, a key ally of current president Pedro Sánchez, led the country between 2004 and 2011.
The accusations are linked to the rescue of Plus Ultra airline in 2021, when the State guaranteed a loan of 53 million euros. According to investigators, much of that money was allegedly diverted to foreign bank accounts belonging to a criminal organisation involved in laundering Venezuelan money.
The portal El Confidencial reported that the UCO acted with authorisation from the Supreme Court and that the operation is related to an independent investigation led by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
During the search of Zapatero's office, officers found luxury jewellery valued at approximately 45,000 euros. Among the seized items were watches, bracelets, rings and pendants. The party's general secretary, Gertrudis Alcázar, stated that the jewellery belonged to Zapatero's wife and that the watches were "gifts from trips". The representative of the former president indicated that the total value does not exceed 50,000 euros, although police have demanded an independent valuation.
The scandal has weakened the already fragile position of Sánchez's Government. The leader of the Basque Nationalist Party, Aitor Esteban, called on Sunday for early elections to be held before the end of the year. "There are already nine judicial cases, now Zapatero is added to that," he said. "It would be irresponsible to continue after 2026 without direction, without a budget, without a stable majority and with a political agenda that has spiralled out of control and is overshadowed by judicial proceedings."
Another key ally, the spokesman for Republican Left of Catalonia, Gabriel Rufián, warned that for his party the red line would be evidence of widespread corruption in illegal party financing. Rufián recalled that his party supported the motion of censure against Mariano Rajoy in 2018 when the Popular Party's corruption plot was exposed. "We would demand elections if a similar case arose with the Socialists," he said.
In addition to Zapatero, the president's brother, David Sánchez, will appear before court this week on corruption charges, and Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, is under investigation for suspected abuse of influence. Since Sánchez arrived at La Moncloa in 2018, two general secretaries of his party have been convicted of corruption.
Zapatero's first trial, scheduled for this Tuesday, was postponed two weeks until 17 June. The former president denies all accusations. Sánchez has expressed his full support for his predecessor and has defended the presumption of innocence.
Investigators also found 286,070 euros in cash hidden in a radiator, bathroom bags, a golf bag and furniture at the home of Julio Martínez, a close friend of Zapatero and one of the businessmen charged. Furthermore, they found a contract under which Martínez's consultancy would receive one per cent of each state rescue package granted to Plus Ultra, signed two months before the Government approved the aid.
According to investigators, Zapatero subsequently authorised the creation of an offshore company in Dubai linked to the entity that was to receive the commission.
Source: ERR