The judge investigating Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has decided to change the status of Joaquín Goyache, the rector of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), from witness to accused. This decision follows testimonies given in court by José María Coello de Portugal, the current Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations, and his predecessor, Juan Carlos Doadrio.
The ruling, as reported by Europa Press, indicates that the testimonies from both men support the shift in Goyache’s status. The judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, has scheduled Goyache’s declaration for July 29 at 9:45 AM. Notably, it was revealed last Friday that businessman Carlos Barrabés was also summoned as an accused on the same date.
During Goyache’s testimony on July 5, he mentioned meeting with Begoña Gómez at the Palacio de La Moncloa prior to the master’s program’s commencement. He asserted that a degree was not required for her to lead the course, emphasizing her extensive experience in sustainable development.
Following this testimony, Luis Pardo from the Iustitia Europa public prosecution group told reporters that Goyache confirmed his meeting with Gómez occurred before she began her role at the university, with the purpose of discussing the content of the program. However, Goyache did not provide additional specific details.
Pardo mentioned that Goyache revealed he went to Moncloa after receiving a call from Gómez’s secretary, who arranged the meeting. When asked about his acquaintance with the Prime Minister, Goyache stated that he did not know him.
Goyache, who will return as an accused, testified for about 50 minutes. According to sources present during his testimony, a significant portion of the questioning centered on whether someone without a degree could lead a master’s program at the university. Goyache reiterated that a degree was not mandatory, as long as the individual had relevant experience, which, in Gómez’s case, dated back 12 years.
He clarified that Gómez should not be viewed merely as a “professor” but rather recognized for her experience in the field. The judge inquired about the nature of this experience, to which Goyache referred to her background in sustainable development related to the program.
The topic of a software patent linked to the master’s program was also brought up, but Goyache stated he had no knowledge of the software or any associated irregularities.
The judge took Goyache’s evolving status into account based on the testimonies of both Coello de Portugal and Doadrio, given on July 19. Both officials asserted they had no authority over the invoices linked to Gómez’s program, including payments related to the software.
Sources confirmed that both vice-rectors explained how the chair directed by Gómez was established and how the Joint Commission overseeing the extraordinary chair for competitive social transformation functioned. Coello de Portugal confirmed that they refrained from accepting documents submitted by Gómez regarding the chair due to an ongoing process.
In terms of the specific invoices mentioned in the report prepared by UCM, it was clarified that the Vice-Rectorate for Institutional Relations had no jurisdiction over such expenses. Doadrio noted that he had already stepped down by the time these financial matters arose.
The invoices in question concern three allocations linked to the chair. The first is an invoice from ‘Making Science Group S.A.’ for the development and implementation of the Transform TSC platform, amounting to €24,200. The second is a contract for consulting and assistance services amounting to €18,148. The third relates to a simplified open procedure for technical and technological assistance concerning the creation of a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises, worth €60,500.
Doadrio reportedly claimed that he received instructions from the rector to create a chair for Begoña Gómez and that while everything was formalized correctly, the process was hurried.
It is important to note that there are at least three lawsuits against Begoña Gómez: one initiated by Manos Limpias, which launched the investigation, and others from Hazte Oír and Vox. Both Vox and Hazte Oír alleged in their filings that Gómez may have engaged in influence peddling regarding the software patented within the UCM master’s program she co-directed.
Vox argued that Gómez leveraged her status as the Prime Minister’s wife and her advantageous position at UCM to develop software using public resources, particularly after companies like Telefónica, Google, and Indra opted out of continuing the software project.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2024/07/22/el-juez-del-caso-begona-cambia-la-condicion-del-rector-de-la-ucm-a-investigado-y-le-cita-para-el-29-de-julio/
