“I didn’t go there often either (…). But every time I went, I went with an invitation. I never called anywhere”. Businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés confirmed before Judge Juan Carlos Peinado that he had visited the Moncloa Palace “on several occasions”. And none of them on his own initiative.
There he met Pedro Sánchez’s wife several times, Begoña Gomezwhich Peinado is currently investigating for crimes of influence peddling and corruption in the business world.
The complaint that gave rise to the appeal Begoña caseSpecifically, he mentions that in 2020 Gómez signed two expressions of interest (a kind of recommendation letter) in favor of two Barrabés projects that were submitted to two public competitions, of which they were winners.
The businessman was also a member of the teaching staff of the master’s degree that Pedro Sánchez’s wife has been co-directing since 2021 at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). EL ESPAÑOL had access to the audio that includes Barrabés’ statement as a witness before the judge. Finally, Peinado, a few days later, ended up attributing his status as a witness to him.
In his testimony, Barrabés confirmed that he went “one day” to Moncloa, “to see Begoña Gómez”, with whom he assures that he spoke “about the subject of the master’s degree”.
Juan Carlos Barrabés.
Assigned.
He also mentioned that he had been called to the presidential palace to discuss with Pedro Sánchez issues related to SMEs and innovation, his area of expertise. He was there, he said, “several times” and assured that I had no “special relationship” with him.
“I went to see Begoña Gómez several times about the master’s degree, and then I went to see Pedro Sánchez once or twice. And that’s it,” he said. Questioned by the judge about the reason for his interview with the President of the Government, the witness said that in his opinion, he believes that the leader of the Executive wanted to have his “opinion” as an expert, within the framework of “a round table with companies”. “About innovation and things I know,” he said. On one of those occasions, he said, he was present Manuel de la RochaSecretary General of the Department of Economic Affairs and G20 in the Office of the President of the Government.
“She offered it to me”
Questioned by a lawyer who exercises public prosecution in the Begoña caseVox party lawyer Barrabés describes the beginning of his collaboration with Gómez as follows: “She offered it to me. She called me. She said, ‘I created a master’s degreeThere’s one part I’m not clear on. Do you mind staying? I don’t know what.”
“And it seemed like a good fit, because everyone was asking me where to get a master’s degree like that and I had been asked several times and I kept having to look at France or England and I said, ‘Well, this is a good chance to get a master’s degree. [así] in Spain,” Barrabés said.
He was also asked about the aforementioned expressions of interest signed by Begoña Gómez. “These are not letters of recommendation (…). They are letters of support, of support for the project. It is not support for the company. (…) And that is super important,” he said.
