Judge Santiago Pedraz of the Audiencia Nacional has charged 25 people, including Belén Gualda González, president of the state holding company SEPI. The move follows a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in the case linked to Leire Díez.
The charges against Gualda relate to her role in the 112.8 million euro rescue of Tubos Reunidos in 2021. Prosecutors say the network received payments for influencing approval of the public aid.
Documents mention a chat called Hirurok involving Vicente Fernández, Antxon Alonso and Leire Díez. Handwritten notes in an agenda belonging to Santos Cerdán, found at Ferraz, link the former PSOE organization secretary to payment deferrals.
The government has ruled out dismissing Gualda. Executive sources defend her integrity and the propriety of the file reviewed by the Court of Auditors and the European Commission.
