The judge of the 'Cloacas case' detects a payment of 105,000 euros between a former PSOE lawyer and the historical socialist Gaspar Zarrías, accused of financing the 'plumber'

The judge in the Cloacas case has asked lawyer Ismael Oliver for explanations about the payment of just over 100,000 euros to Gaspar Zarrías' lawyer. Both the lawyer Oliver and the historic Andalusian socialist are accused in the National Court for financing the activities of the plumber Leire Díez. Now magistrate Santiago Pedraz is tracking whether the funds were intended to finance operations to deactivate the judicial cases that harmed the PSOE and the president of the Government.

The payment appears reflected in the information that the judge and the UCO had requested from the Tax Agency, which arrived at the Court a few days ago. The beneficiary of the transfer is Gonzalo Martínez Fresneda, Zarrías' lawyer and closely linked to the PSOE, whose representation he has represented.

In an order issued this Wednesday, Pedraz asks for clarifications: "Given that the documentation provided by the AEAT includes a payment from Estudio Legali Oliver&Partners SL, office of the investigated Ismael Oliver, in the amount of 105,122.76 euros to Martínez Fresneda Ortiz de Solorzano, Gonzalo (Lawyers), who in turn is a lawyer for Mr. Zarrías (from whom he charges 4,840.00 euros) Mr. Oliver is required to state the services provided by said office that justified it and provide, where appropriate, the documentation that supports it."

Given his status as an investigator in the Sewage/Plumbing case, the judge reminds Oliver that he has the right "not to provide information if he understands that it may incriminate him." Apart from working for the party, Oliver was also Koldo García's first lawyer in the investigation of the Mascarillas case.

Background

Other previous payments under suspicion led to the indictment of both the lawyer and the former Andalusian counselor. In the case of the latter, the UCO detected that through its consulting firm Zaño had had the plumber on the payroll for four months.

The UCO highlights that Zarrías' consulting firm ended up collecting from the PSOE "exactly" what it had spent on the plumber's salaries (4,000 euros net per month, plus associated expenses), and on very close dates. Investigators estimate that it was financing of Leire Díez's activities, all camouflaged through Zarrías companies.

As for Oliver, the UCO maintains that the PSOE used two of the lawyer's companies to pay 27,225 euros to Leire Díez. The party paid the amount to his office for a generic concept and, later, another company of the lawyer transferred exactly the same amount to an account of the plumber.

Researchers say that Zarrías and Oliver's mechanics are coincident. In both cases "two companies would have been interposed to send funds to Leire originating from the party."

Now Judge Pedraz is investigating whether the new 105,000 euros detected are part of the plumbing company's financing operation.

In the same resolution, Judge Pedraz also requests more information from another lawyer under investigation. This is Leticia de la Hoz, who has led the defense of Koldo García, from whom he has just resigned. Pedraz asks him to "clarify" whether the invoices that he has provided as consideration for his defense are "the only invoices and amounts that he has collected for that concept and for the entire period in which he has defended Mr. García Izaguirre." Again, remembering your right not to collaborate if you consider that it is not convenient for you.