The judge in the Begoña Gómez case moves to charge Bolaños with embezzlement and false witness.

MadridNew move by controversial Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, the investigating judge in the Begoña Gómez case. In an order signed this Monday, he submitted a reasoned statement to the Supreme Court to investigate the Minister of the Presidency and Justice, Félix Bolaños, for alleged crimes of embezzlement of public funds and false witness. All of this stems from the appointment of Cristina Álvarez, an advisor at the Moncloa Palace who worked as an assistant to Pedro Sánchez's wife. He attributes responsibility for her appointment to her at the time when Bolaños was Secretary General of the Presidency of the Spanish government. Sources close to the minister conveyed to ARA a message of "total calm" regarding the judge's decision.

The crime of false witness would supposedly be for having lied when testified about the case on April 16"With malicious reticence, he has omitted the correct answers, the ones that reflected the truth, which he knew when the questions were asked as a witness and under oath," Peinado concludes in the text. In fact, when the audio of the statement was made public, the tension between the judge and the minister was already evident. "I don't know why you're smiling," Peinado retorted. "I find your questioning very surprising, that's why I smiled," he replied. "Don't give me evasive answers," the judge replied.

The judge wanted Bolaños to explain who was responsible for appointing Álvarez as Begoña Gómez's assistant and even suspended the questioning so the minister could be sure. Finally, he named Raúl Díaz as the person to whom Álvarez reported as responsible for the administration and coordination of staff at the Palau and Council of Ministers buildings in the Moncloa complex. He was reportedly appointed by the Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency, Alfredo González, who in turn was appointed by Bolaños himself.

"He may have directly participated in the appointment of Cristina Álvarez as temporary staff and knew or controlled the tasks she performed, receiving her remuneration from a budget item in the general state budget," Peinado maintains. This would be the basis for attributing him the crime of embezzlement. The judge questions the use of public funds to hire Álvarez to perform tasks that do not reflect Gómez's public actions as the president's wife, but rather private activities.

The Supreme Court's decision

As a member of the Spanish government, Bolaños has immunity before the Supreme Court, so it will be the high court that must rule on Peinado's proposal. Specifically, the Admissions Division is responsible for considering whether to accept the reasoned statement and appoint an investigating judge. It remains to be seen whether the judges who comprise it—Andrés Martínez Arrieta, Julián Sánchez Melgar, Pablo Llarena, Ángel Hurtado, and Leopoldo Puente—will accept the Madrid judge's argument. If so, the Koldo-Ábalos case will include the Attorney General, the Minister of the Presidency, and Pedro Sánchez's until recently right-hand man, Santos Cerdán. In other words, practically the entire inner circle of the Spanish Prime Minister.

"It's pouring rain," reacted the leader of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, upon hearing the news. Speaking to the media after participating in an event hosted by the newspaper ABC, he stated that the Spanish government has "too many legal problems to add one more." However, he preferred to "be cautious" while waiting for the Supreme Court to decide whether Peinado's request should be appealed.