Spanish police entered the Madrid headquarters of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s ruling Socialist Party, PSOE, on Wednesday as part of a judicial investigation tied to alleged efforts to interfere with legal proceedings involving the party and government figures.
Reuters reported that Spain’s High Court said Judge Santiago Pedraz ordered officers to retrieve specific documents and electronic files, while clarifying that the move was not a broad search raid.
The case centers on former PSOE organization secretary Santos Cerdán and others allegedly connected to a network under investigation for possible bribery, misconduct, inducement to give false testimony and involvement in a criminal organization. Spanish media also reported that the inquiry is examining suspected irregular payments and possible financing links connected to efforts to obstruct cases affecting the PSOE.
The timing is politically explosive. Just days earlier, former Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was placed under investigation in a separate case involving alleged influence peddling and money laundering connected to the Plus Ultra airline bailout. Reuters reported that investigators allege the network profited by lobbying public authorities on behalf of third parties, mainly Plus Ultra, which received a €53 million state bailout in 2021.