A ruling from the National Court details that a suspected network linked to the PSOE allegedly attempted to bribe anti-corruption prosecutor José Grinda with €300,000. According to Judge Santiago Pedraz, this offer aimed to obtain information that would harm the Chief of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, Alejandro Luzón, and to archive relevant judicial cases.
The judicial document also notes that the plan was overseen by Santos Cerdán, the former Socialist Organization Secretary, who is reported to have orchestrated a network designed to interfere with judicial proceedings that could disadvantage the party and the Government. In this framework, Leire Díez, widely referred to as “the plumber” of the PSOE, is described as having held a pivotal role in carrying out these unlawful operations.
The bribe to prosecutor Grinda was reportedly mediated by Pere Rusiñol, a businessman and an external individual to the PSOE, who met with the prosecutor in February 2025 to convey the offer. In addition to the money, Grinda was also promised a job abroad.
New Revelations: Attempts to Bribe and Manipulate Witnesses
The ruling also discloses that businesswoman Carmen Pano was approached with an offer of €50,000 to alter her courtroom testimony. Pano had earlier affirmed that, following instructions from Víctor de Aldama, an alleged intermediary in the “Koldo case,” she handed over €90,000 in cash at the PSOE headquarters in Ferraz in October 2020. Although efforts were made to persuade her to modify her account before appearing again in court, Pano ultimately stood by her original statements before the tribunal.
Lawyer Ismael Oliver, who is also being investigated, is said to have spearheaded the negotiations for this bribe with authorization from Leire Díez. According to the judge’s files, Díez purportedly remarked in a recorded conversation that they needed to know how to make the right purchase.
Offers to Officials and Civil Guards
Additionally, the judge details that economic favors and benefits were offered to public officials and Civil Guard members in exchange for information to obstruct corruption investigations. Promises included lawyer fees and professional promotions.
The raid on the PSOE headquarters in Ferraz, mandated by Judge Pedraz and accompanied by additional judicial measures, further reinforces indications that this network aimed to safeguard the political interests of the PSOE and the Government by carrying out unlawful actions against prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement personnel.
Source: Report by El Economista – https://www.eleconomista.es/economia/noticias/13941030/05/26/el-juez-sospecha-que-la-trama-ofrecio-300000-euros-al-fiscal-grinda-para-obtener-informacion-que-afectara-a-luzon.html
