The secretary-general of Vox’s parliamentary group in Congress, José María Figaredo, has said the corruption cases surrounding Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are “closing in” on him and predicted the affair would end with the premier behind bars. Figaredo made the remarks in interviews on Tele 5 and Cuatro, the right-wing party said.
He dismissed as “the usual excuse” Sánchez’s claim that he had not known about the activities of Leire Díez, a former Socialist Party (PSOE) member who, alongside the party’s former organisation secretary Santos Cerdán, is alleged to have led a network aimed at discrediting judges, prosecutors, police and Civil Guard officers investigating people close to the government. The allegations are set out in an order by National Court judge Santiago Pedraz.
Figaredo also addressed comments by interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who has acknowledged that the director general of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González, held meetings with Díez but said the network’s activities were not discussed.
The Vox politician called Grande-Marlaska a “compulsive liar”, saying the minister had been caught out. He compared the explanation to a murder suspect who first denies being at the scene, then admits being present but denies responsibility.
He said Sánchez had distanced himself from Díez while pointing to a Civil Guard statement, a manoeuvre Figaredo described as the premier “getting out of the way”.
Figaredo argued that a judicial request for the bank records of the PSOE and its Catalan branch, the PSC, pointed to speculation over alleged illegal party financing. The party had turned the State into “a machine … to steal”, he said, adding that he hoped the matter would end “with Pedro Sánchez behind bars”.
He also criticised the conservative People’s Party (PP) for not having tabled a motion of no confidence, which he said should already have been presented against a government he called corrupt “to the marrow”. Vox has tabled two such motions, neither of which was backed by other parties.
Figaredo said Sánchez continued to receive support from the European Commission, trade unions and employers’ organisations. He rejected the description of Vox as an extreme party, calling it instead one “of extreme necessity”.
