Spain's tax agency chief resigns as SEPI president faces corruption probe

Soledad Fernández, director general of the Agencia Tributaria, will step down after having requested a replacement months ago. The Treasury Ministry says the resignation is planned and not linked to any crisis, though the agency has not taken part in the judicial case involving former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's undisclosed jewelry.

The opposition People's Party alleges the resignation is connected to the ongoing scandal at the State Industrial Holdings Company (SEPI), whose president Belén Gualda was recently indicted in the “Caso Leire”. Gualda, a former regional official who became SEPI head in 2021, is accused of influencing the award of a €112.8 million rescue to Tubos Reunidos and of other offenses such as influence‑peddling and misuse of insider information. The government maintains confidence in Gualda, stating that the investigation has not uncovered any element that compromises her duties.

Both episodes occur amid broader scrutiny of the Spanish government’s handling of public funds and alleged corruption, with the judiciary, opposition parties and media linking the two events as part of a wider political controversy.