At the center of a major investigation is Begona Gomez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Authorities are examining details of her work at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), where she headed a specialized department. Special attention has been drawn to her assistant, Cristina Álvarez, who was found to have attended several meetings related to the development of university software.
Making Science Group, the company involved in creating this software, provided the court with a list of more than twenty meetings held between April 2022 and February 2024. This list shows that Cristina Álvarez was invited to or attended three of them. After receiving this information, the judge forwarded the materials for analysis to the Civil Guard Central Operative Unit (Unidad Central Operativa, UCO).
Allegations and Suspicions
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado is considering the possibility of violations involving the use of university resources for personal purposes. Specifically, the investigation is looking into potential embezzlement and misappropriation of software that, according to investigators, was originally free. Begona Gomez and her assistant categorically deny all accusations.
In December 2025, the judge sent requests to several major companies, including Google, Indra, Telefónica, Deloitte, Making Science, Devoteam, and Flat 101. He demanded that they provide all protocols and meeting agendas related to the development of a digital platform for UCM. José Antonio Martínez Aguilar, a representative of Making Science, prepared a detailed report listing all recorded meetings, participants, and topics discussed.
Technical details
The provided documents emphasize that the meetings were primarily technical in nature. Most of the discussions focused on project implementation rather than administrative or financial matters. There were no formal minutes, and any agendas were circulated via email among university staff and contractors. The meetings were attended by engineers, project managers, and IT specialists responsible for software implementation.
In January 2023, Cristina Álvarez’s name first appeared among the participants of an online meeting. She was invited to discuss the project’s technical aspects. In March of the same year, she was invited again to a virtual meeting, with her personal email address included in the documents. Both times, the discussion focused on the current development status and addressing operational issues.
Unanswered questions
Although most meetings were held online, three of them took place in person. The first was on April 19, 2022, when a new Google cloud technology specialist joined the project. From that point, meetings became regular and continued until February 2024. Begoña Gómez attended all meetings, but her assistant participated only three times.
Investigators are trying to determine whether Cristina Álvarez actually assisted Gómez in her private activities using university resources. This issue remains unresolved, and both women continue to assert their innocence. Nevertheless, the fact that the materials have been referred to the UCO indicates the seriousness of the suspicions.
Reaction and repercussions
During hearings at the Madrid Assembly, a representative of Making Science emphasized that the software development project was no different from other similar initiatives. According to him, everything was running as usual, with no special features or deviations from standard procedures. However, the close scrutiny of meeting details and participants suggests that investigators are looking for potential loopholes for abuse.
The situation surrounding Begoña Gómez and her assistant remains tense. Society is closely following developments, and any new details spark heated debate. The issue of transparency in government and educational institutions is once again in the spotlight. Frankly, it is surprising how quickly a technical project can turn into a political scandal.
