Claudio Rivas and two other businessmen investigated for hydrocarbon fraud testify before Pedraz on a new day of the 'Leire case'

Judge Santiago Pedraz has taken testimony this Thursday from three businessmen in the hydrocarbon sector as part of the 'Leire case' investigation, on the third consecutive day of witness statements that the Audiencia Nacional has dedicated to this case. They are Antonio Rodríguez, José Luis Caramés Taboada and Claudio Rivas.  The three witnesses are also under investigation in separate proceedings for alleged VAT fraud in the same sector, and had already given statements to the Civil Guard on May 28.

The appearances are part of the round of proceedings with which the magistrate is trying to clarify the alleged plot that, according to the investigation, would have tried to influence judicial proceedings related to the Government and the PSOE. The three businessmen had previously appeared before the UCO and are now testifying in court.

The offers reported to the Civil Guard

During his appearance before the UCO, Antonio Rodríguez had claimed to have received a proposal that he attributed to the lawyer Leticia de la Hoz, who is under investigation in this case. According to that previous testimony, the offer consisted of obtaining alleged procedural benefits in exchange for providing information about Repsol, the Central Operative Unit (UCO), Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas, and officials of the Tax Agency.

For his part, José Luis Caramés Taboada had chosen before the Civil Guard to exercise his right not to testify, considering that his answers could harm his defense in another case in which he is under investigation. However, he did then state that he had relevant information about the search that the UCO had carried out shortly before at the PSOE headquarters.

Claudio Rivas, Víctor de Aldama's partner in the hydrocarbon business, also appeared. In his statement to the Civil Guard, he denied having had contact with Leire Díez or having received offers related to the judicial proceedings in which he is involved. However, he did acknowledge that he had held conversations with the lawyer Jacobo Teijelo about a possible coordination of defense strategies, although he assured that this collaboration never materialized.

Narbona, the most anticipated appearance

The round of testimonies will continue this Friday with the appearances of José Norberto Uzal Tresandi, the president of the PSOE, Cristina Narbona, and Rafael Salvador Moreno. The calendar of proceedings will continue next week with new interrogations, including that of the first lawyer of former minister José Luis Ábalos, on Monday, July 13, and that of lawyer Leticia de la Hoz, on Tuesday, July 14, who will now appear as an investigated party.