Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is investigating the Begoña casehears to check How many students did the master’s degree actually have? co-directed by the main accused in this case at the Complutense University of Madrid: Begoña Gomezwife of the President of the Government.
The magistrate ordered one of the witnesses in the case, Marc-Simondeputy director of the La Caixa Foundation, to provide a report sent by Gómez to the entity, in which nearly 250 students are cited.
Peinado made this decision after Luis CypressAnother witness interviewed on Monday, who had taught master’s courses, only mentioned about 10 or 15.
The judge questioned Ciprés about the emoluments he received as a teacher in two years. The witness mentioned, on the one hand, some 900 total of euros per year and, later, around 1,500. Both figures correspond to students – “from what I remember”, he added – between 10 and 15 years old.
Therefore, when Simón later mentioned the 248 neighborhoods, the judge asked him where this information came from. And the deputy director of the La Caixa Foundation mentioned this report sent by Gómez. Instantly, the magistrate ordered the manager to provide it to him once he had located it on his computer.
Photomontage with the faces of Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez and Judge Peinado.
As published by EL ESPAÑOL, it was Pedro Sánchez’s own wife who asked Marc Simón in 2020 for the Foundation to sponsor his master’s degree, which is now under the control of the judge, who is investigating whether irregularities occurred in its creation.
Besides Gómez, they are also on the list of people being investigated in this case. Joaquin Goyacherector of the Complutense, and the businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés. In fact, the latter also taught at the master’s level and was the superior of Ciprés, CEO of the Barrabés Group. All are accused of alleged crimes of influence peddling and commercial corruption.
The La Caixa Foundation and Reale Seguros each contributed 60,000 euros to finance the chair. This Monday, questioned by the judge, Simón said he would welcome the renewal of the agreement signed between the two entities and Complutense. Expires next October. However, the insurance company rules it out.
The judge of Moncloa
On the other hand, on July 30, Judge Peinado went to Moncloa to collect Sánchez’s testimony. However, the President of the Government took advantage of the dispensation that allows him not to testify about his wife’s affairs, which is the subject of an investigation in this case.
A few days later, on August 3, the prosecution asked the investigator not to provide the parties with the recordings of this interrogation. in order to “prevent leaks” and that the images “ended up being inappropriately released.”
Pedro Sánchez, in this statement, which lasted only two minutes, simply confirmed that the person being investigated is his wife and that, therefore, he has agreed to be exempted from testifying against her, as permitted by law.
Shortly afterwards, the prosecution, representing the President of the Government, filed a complaint before the High Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) against Peinado, who is awaiting admission for treatment, which will be decided in September. Gómez also filed a complaint against the judge.
Sánchez’s complaint asks the TSJM to investigate the magistrate, considering that he “knowingly” issued several “unjust” resolutions and contrary to the provisions of the law, because they responded to “his own convictions” that “deviate from his duty of investigation.”
The judge ultimately ignored the prosecution’s request and agreed that the parties appearing in the case could receive a video copy of Sánchez’s statement.
