The Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard has detained Leire Díez, former PSOE member and councilor, and Vicente Fernández, former president of the State Industrial Participations Society, in a probe into alleged corruption in public contracting. The operation, led by the National Court and under seal, focuses on fraud, embezzlement, and influence peddling. Both were arrested on Wednesday in Madrid.
The arrest of Leire Díez and Vicente Fernández took place before mid-afternoon on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, as part of a sealed investigation led by the Central Investigating Court number 6 of the National Court, under Judge Antonio Piña and overseen by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. The probe examines potential offenses of fraud, documentary falsehood, embezzlement, influence peddling, and prevarication linked to public contracting.
Díez, 52, born in Bilbao, was taken to the Civil Guard's cells in Tres Cantos, Madrid. She previously served as communications head at Enusa, 60% owned by SEPI, from 2018 to 2021, during Fernández's presidency of the state company. Her career includes deputy mayor in Vega de Pas (Cantabria) from 2011, board member at Cistec from 2021 to 2023, and director of Philately and Institutional Relations at Correos from 2022 to 2024. She is also charged in another case for bribery and influence peddling at Madrid's Court Number 9, where she is accused of leading a scheme to discredit UCO and Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's leadership. Recordings portray her as the "right-hand" of former PSOE Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán, despite her denials of party ties and claims of being an independent investigative reporter.
Fernández, also 52 and from Málaga, headed SEPI from 2018 to 2019, following Pedro Sánchez's investiture. Later, he advised Servinabar, tied to the Cerdán case, from 2021 to 2023, earning 100,000 to 200,000 euros for finding private partners and projects on the Costa del Sol. Close sources say he lent Díez an apartment in Madrid's Salamanca district for meetings. Previously, he was general auditor for Andalusia's Regional Government and was acquitted in the Aznalcóllar mine case. In July 2025, he invoked his right to silence in the Senate commission on the Cerdán affair.
Political responses followed swiftly. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo tweeted that it involves Sánchez's “plumber” and a close aide to Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero, demanding change. PP spokesperson Ester Muñoz warned that “at this rate of scandals, by 2027 there won't be even scraps left of PSOE.” Izquierda Unida's Enrique de Santiago framed it as a private matter, distinguishing it from party financing.
