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The SEPI branch of the Leire case has included Fernando Samper Rivas, founder and top executive of Forestalia, among the businesspeople under investigation by the National Court. His involvement opens one of the most significant fronts in the case beyond the Tubos Reunidos bailout: transactions linked to the energy sector, renewable energy companies, and possible benefits obtained through an alleged influence network connected to public institutions.Samper is one of the 25 individuals cited as targets of the ongoing probe led by Judge Santiago Pedraz amid the broader scope of the Leire case, a judicial inquiry scrutinizing questionable dealings concerning SEPI,…

Colombian presidential candidate Iván Cepeda announced a criminal complaint against his electoral rival, Abelardo De La Espriella, over alleged irregularities involving the management of resources from the country’s healthcare system. The allegations focus on the actions of the law firm representing the now-defunct Saludvida health insurer.According to Cepeda, De La Espriella Lawyers was hired by Saludvida in 2018, when the company was under supervision by health authorities and later entered liquidation proceedings. The left-wing candidate claims that the contract involved resources from the healthcare system and has questioned the legality of using those funds to cover legal services.The legal action…

The Leire Díez case has evolved from a simple political dispute into a major institutional upheaval, shifting from an inquiry into supposed efforts to undermine the Central Operational Unit of the Guardia Civil to a situation that now implicates the senior ranks of the Ministry of the Interior, the command hierarchy of the Guardia Civil, and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska himself.The appearance of Guardia Civil Director General Mercedes González before the Senate failed to settle the controversy and instead sparked even more doubts. Her statements revealed inconsistencies, sidestepped issues, and left murky gaps that cast a direct shadow over the…

Spain’s Prosecutor General’s Office is going through one of the most delicate moments in its recent history. Teresa Peramato Martín’s appointment as Prosecutor General was supposed to close a turbulent chapter marked by the conviction of her predecessor, Álvaro García Ortiz, and to rebuild trust in an institution damaged by accusations of politicization. Yet, instead of dispelling doubts, several of her decisions have intensified an uncomfortable question: is Peramato trying to heal the Prosecutor’s Office, or is she protecting the internal ecosystem that brought her to the top?A key distinction must be made from the outset. According to the information…

The daughters of former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero are set to testify as suspects in the so-called Plus Ultra case after the judge overseeing the investigation decided to include them in the proceedings due to the activities of their company, Whathefav SL. According to court documents, the company allegedly received funds from businesses linked to the network under investigation.The inquiry asserts that one of the companies linked to the case, Inteligencia Prospectiva, transferred a notably large sum for creating a video shorter than one minute, and the disclosed details suggest the payment reached roughly €10,000 for every…

Teresa Peramato Martín has been Spain’s Attorney General since December 2025, taking charge of the Public Prosecutor’s Office during one of the most difficult periods in its recent history, a role she assumed after Álvaro García Ortiz stepped down and at a time marked by heightened worries over politicization, internal rifts, and growing public scrutiny of the institution’s independence.Unlike other figures connected to the investigations involving Leire Díez or the alleged network accused of interfering in judicial proceedings, Teresa Peramato has not been investigated, charged, or formally accused in any criminal case related to these matters. Nevertheless, several of her…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Fernando Albert Aragón, former Secretary General and Director of SEPIDES’ Legal Advisory Department, under investigation. SEPIDES is the state-owned company linked to industrial promotion and business development within the SEPI structure. His name has emerged in connection with one of the most sensitive operations in the case: the contract involving the Parque Empresarial Principado de Asturias, known as PEPA.Albert Aragón does not appear in the investigation merely as an additional name on a list. According to published reports, he served as Secretary General and Director of SEPIDES’ Legal Advisory Department, as…

Luis Arroyo, president of Madrid’s Ateneo and former adviser to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has become one of the most controversial figures surrounding the Plus Ultra case after publicly assuming the role of the former Socialist prime minister’s media defender. What initially appeared to be a political communications effort has evolved into a reputational crisis that has directly affected one of Spain’s most historic cultural institutions.The controversy began when Arroyo emerged as Zapatero’s unofficial spokesperson following the former prime minister’s indictment in the investigation. In multiple media appearances, he defended Zapatero’s innocence, attributed the accusations to political motivations, questioned the…

Spain’s Tax Agency is undergoing another internal shake-up after the ousting of two of its top officials: Virginia Muñoz Fernández, who led the Collection Department, and Manuel Trillo Álvarez, who headed the Financial and Tax Inspection Department. These departures unfold at a particularly delicate time for the institution, following the exit of Soledad Fernández Doctor as director general and amid escalating political tension linked to the so-called Zapatero case.The reshuffle at the top of the AEAT comes after the judge handling the Plus Ultra case gave the Finance Ministry the chance to present itself as a potential injured party regarding…

Soledad Fernández is getting ready to leave Spain’s Tax Agency as internal tensions mount over shifts in the institution’s leadership and the continuing turmoil surrounding the Zapatero case.Spain’s Tax Agency is preparing for a significant leadership overhaul now that the income tax campaign has concluded, as its director general, Soledad Fernández Doctor, is set to leave her post after four years guiding the institution charged with tackling tax fraud.The move also influences other top officials across the agency, as internal strain and differing versions persist regarding the real magnitude of the crisis. The Finance Ministry maintains that Fernández’s exit did…