The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has denied the political party Vox the opportunity to act as a private prosecutor in an ongoing investigation related to two contracts potentially funded by European Union resources. This investigation is a part of what has been referred to as the “Begoña Gómez case.” According to EPPO, the parties involved in this case cannot be considered victims of the alleged crimes.
This information is detailed in a decree from the EPPO that has been reviewed by Europa Press. The EPPO notes that the facts being investigated could constitute crimes such as embezzlement, influence peddling, and privatization.
In their decree, the EPPO clarifies that European regulations allow for private accusations in cases under their investigation, but public accusations are not permitted. The document emphasizes that those acting as public prosecutors would automatically lose their status as parties involved in the case. It further states that, while there are instances where public prosecutors can act as private prosecutors, this is not applicable in this situation because the alleged crimes have collective and supra-individual characteristics.
Marta Castro, the national legal coordinator for Vox, has announced the party’s intention to appeal this decision. She argues that, according to Spanish legislation, public prosecutors also have the right to effective judicial protection. Castro stressed that Vox aims to understand and engage in the investigative proceedings to prevent the case from becoming opaque, leaving them unaware of the investigations taking place. However, the EPPO’s decree firmly states that there is no option for contesting its decision.
On July 6, it was revealed that Vox had requested to join the case as a public prosecutor after the EPPO took over part of the investigation from the Madrid Court of Instruction Number 41 in June. The current investigation revolves around two contracts awarded to a joint venture that included a company owned by businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés, which was allegedly financed through public contracts from Red.es using EU funds.
It is important to remember that the complaint filed by the Manos Limpias union alleged that Begoña Gómez, leveraging her position as the spouse of Spain’s Prime Minister, had been endorsing or recommending businesses that were competing for public contracts. The union claimed that one of the companies benefiting from her endorsements was owned by Carlos Barrabés, who reportedly received public contracts worth 10 million euros.
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