Witness in Spanish judicial probe says Leire Díez invoked 'the One' and confirmed it meant PM Sánchez

Court testimony from security collaborator

Daniel Mateo, who identified himself as a collaborator of the Guardia Civil’s Information Headquarters, gave evidence on Wednesday before Judge Santiago Pedraz at the Audiencia Nacional. He recounted that in early 2025 he was approached by Leire Díez, a former PSOE militant known as the party’s “fixer”, who sought a meeting with Rubén Villalba, a Guardia Civil commander already under investigation in the separate Koldo case. Suspicious of her intentions, Mateo contacted his acquaintance Koldo García, a former adviser to ex-minister José Luis Ábalos. García, convicted in the masks procurement case, told him that although Díez held no formal party post, “she was a person whose calls were answered by ministers and secretaries of state,” and that she had access to senior PSOE figures including the prime minister.

The ‘One’ and the prime minister

During a three-hour meeting in a bar in Leganés in March 2025, which Mateo helped arrange and even planted cameras to monitor, Díez repeatedly invoked “the One” (“el one”). Asked whether she meant football star Ronaldo or the Real Madrid president, she clarified that she was referring to Pedro Sánchez. Mateo told the court that she “made many allusions to the president” and later acknowledged “the one is Pedro”. He said her confidence and apparent ability to pull strings gave him “credibility and fear”. According to his testimony, Díez also boasted of her direct line to Mercedes González, the director general of the Guardia Civil, and made a phone call in his presence to a woman she claimed was González. Both González and the Guardia’s second-in-command, Lieutenant General Manuel Llamas, are themselves imputed in the case for alleged pressure on the Central Operative Unit (UCO).

She insisted that when she spoke of ‘the One’, she was referring to the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.

Judge rejects removal of Guardia Civil chiefs

On the same day, Judge Pedraz dismissed a request by the opposition Partido Popular (PP) to strip González and Llamas of their command authority over the UCO while they remain under investigation. The PP argued that retaining command risked compromising the integrity of the probe and could lead to reprisals against agents. Pedraz ruled that because the UCO acts as judicial police and reports only to the court, no additional precautionary measure was needed. However, he added that if the unit itself felt “unsettled” in its functions, it should notify the court. The investigation centres on allegations that Santos Cerdán, the PSOE’s former organisational secretary, led a network to obstruct judicial processes affecting the party and the government, with Díez acting as coordinator.

Broader case and party fallout

The probe, dubbed the “PSOE sewers” case, has seen a string of fresh testimony this week. On Tuesday, two PSOE workers from the party’s Ferraz headquarters told the judge that they booked up to seven trips for Leire Díez and allowed her to use a parking space at the central office, all on Santos Cerdán’s orders. The investigation has identified at least 22 meetings at Ferraz between Díez and Cerdán, and UCO reports note that both used terms such as “the One” or “superboss” in their communications. A message seized from Díez’s notebook read that “the ‘one’ told S to tell me that I’m doing an enormous job.” The PSOE has tried to contain the scandal by severing ties with Cerdán, but the party itself may face charges as a legal entity. With the inquiry advancing, the political cost for the governing party continues to mount.

Key moments in the investigation