Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is leading the case against Begoña Gómez, announced last Sunday that he will dismiss Judit Alexandra González, general secretary of the Presidency of the Government, who he had called to testify as a suspect. The judge made his decision after questioning her as part of his investigation into Cristina Álvarez, the assistant to the wife of the chief executive, Pedro Sánchez, who was hired years before González took office. This Monday, the day after appearing before him, Peinado signed the resolution confirming the initiation of proceedings against González, in which he dedicated only one paragraph to arguing his rapid retaliation: “It is fully demonstrated that the person investigated did not participate in the crime of misappropriation of public funds,” says the trainer.
Judit Alexandra González’s statement took place on Sunday amidst enormous media outcry. The high official of La Moncloa went on holiday to testify before the Peinado court, at whose doors dozens of cameras and journalists were waiting for him. Just 12 days earlier, the magistrate had agreed to summon her to “inform her of the purpose of the proceedings and to expose the facts of which she is accused”, in addition to insisting that he could not call her “as a witness” because he could have attributed to her an alleged embezzlement “in the form of commission by omission, due to her position as guarantor, giving the relevant orders or instructions” to Begoña Gómez’s advisor, but to minister Félix Bolaños, who held the same position as González, questioned him as a witness (he could not be accused because he was not qualified)—.
The teacher investigates whether Gómez’s assistant, Cristina Álvarez, helped her in her private business at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). However, González explained to the judge for about half an hour that 250 people depend on her, but none of these are Álvarez. After listening to her, he announced his dismissal that same Sunday; and on Monday he wrote the short ratification order, to which EL PAÍS had access. Thus reads the only paragraph which includes as an argument: “Considering the content of these proceedings and the statements made by Judit Alexandra González as a suspect, it is fully demonstrated that the person under investigation did not participate in the crime of misappropriation of public funds for which it was agreed to receive the statement, therefore, in accordance with the provisions of article 637 of the Lecrim (criminal procedure law), it is appropriate to allow the free dismissal of the accused. proceedings concerning (her)”.
Peinado opened this case in April 2024 against Begoña Gómez, whom he accuses of five crimes: influence peddling, corporate corruption, embezzlement, professional intrusion and embezzlement. The judge is still investigating Francisco Martín, current Government delegate in the Community of Madrid, one of the critical voices towards Isabel Díaz Ayuso (autonomous president of the PP) and who was secretary of the Presidency between July 2021 and March 2023 (i.e. between Bolaños and González).
