A new phase of a high-profile investigation is unfolding in Spain, involving government contracts worth millions of euros. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is close to finalizing a report that aims to determine whether entrepreneur Juan Carlos Barrabés enjoyed privileged access to major contracts. The case is closely linked to Begoña Gómez, the wife of the country’s current prime minister.
At the center of the investigation are deals totaling €8.4 million awarded to Barrabés’s companies through Red.es, an agency under the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Civil Service. As early as last August, tax service experts flagged suspicious elements in these contracts. Specifically, they highlighted possible irregularities in how points were allocated among the tender participants, which may have given Barrabés’s firms an unfair advantage.
Legal Battles
The situation became more complicated after National Court judge Antonio Piña ordered prosecutors to broaden their review. Now, authorities must determine whether the contested scoring system was used solely in these two tenders or was also applied in other Red.es competitions. Barrabés’s defense argues that if similar methods were used in other cases, the accusations against their client lose credibility.
The judge granted the defense’s request, and now experts must analyze random tenders unrelated to this case. If it turns out that the scoring formula was unique to Barrabes’s contracts, this could become a strong argument against him. However, if similar schemes are found in other procurements, it could change the entire dynamic of the situation.
Contracts and Key Figures
Investigators focused on two major projects: “Youth Training for the Digital Economy” and “Courses for the Unemployed.” Both were partially funded by European funds and awarded to a consortium that included Innova Next (owned by Barrabes) and The Valley Digital Business School.
An expert involved in the investigation claims the consortium received points “unfairly and unlawfully,” putting competitors at a clear disadvantage. Special attention is being paid to letters of support signed by various companies and institutions, including two letters from Begoña Gómez. According to the expert, these letters were merely formal statements, yet they were taken into account in the evaluation, potentially skewing the competition’s results.
Questions for Red.es
Judge Piña believes that, to ensure an objective investigation, it must be determined whether the controversial scoring formula was unique to these tenders or used in other cases as well. If it is found that Red.es applied special methods only to contracts with Innova Next, this could indicate bias and a violation of fair competition principles.
However, expanding the examination may turn against Barrabés himself. If it turns out that different formulas were used for different tenders, this could open up new avenues for investigation and lead to unexpected consequences for all parties involved.
Secrets of the Investigation
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has been working on this report for three months. Once it’s released, the case could move quickly: authorities may either decide to close it or move forward to trial.
Among the suspects are not just Barrabés, but also the Digital Economy Director of Red.es, Luis Prieto. Over the past year, prosecutors have questioned more than twenty witnesses, most of whom are connected to Red.es. The entire investigation has been kept strictly confidential, with information requests sent to various government bodies.
Oversight and Audits
As a state-owned company, Red.es is regularly audited by various oversight bodies—from the Main Financial Inspectorate to the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors. Between 2011 and 2023, the company underwent 33 audits, none of which were rated unsatisfactory.
Nevertheless, this investigation could become a turning point. The issue of whether fair competition rules were violated and whether favoritism actually occurred remains unresolved. The prosecutor’s findings could not only determine the fate of those directly involved but also reshape the approach to public procurement in Spain as a whole.
