UCO Points to Role of Former President of Diputación de Badajoz in Creation of Controversial Position. A high-profile court case over the appointment of the Prime Minister's brother continues in Badajoz. According to the UCO, the initiative to establish the position came from the former head of the Diputación. Witnesses provide conflicting testimony.
In Badajoz, legal proceedings continue regarding possible violations in the appointment of David Sánchez, the brother of the current prime minister, to a managerial position at the Diputación de Badajoz. At the fourth court session, the key testimony was given by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas, head of the UCO's Economic Investigations and Anti-Corruption Division. According to him, the initiative to create the contested position came personally from the former president of the Diputación, Miguel Ángel Gallardo. He was, according to the investigation, closely linked to the process of establishing the new management post that David Sánchez later occupied.
Balas noted that the analysis of correspondence between officials showed that the idea for the new position did not originate from the Department of Culture, but was dictated by a higher political decision. According to the UCO, discussions over the post’s parameters and its approval were managed by the leadership of the Diputación, not by industry specialists. During the hearings, it was emphasized that no other candidate was as closely connected to the creation of this role as the former head of the province.
The court also heard from other witnesses, including Guardia Civil officers and applicants for the position. One of the candidates reported violations in the competition, but most of the officials involved in the process confirmed its formal legality. The issue of transparency and objectivity in the selection process remains a subject of dispute between the parties. As noted by russpain.com, such cases attract wide public attention, especially amid other high-profile proceedings in the regions, for example, when Andalusia saw an increase in controversial decisions in the healthcare sector (more on the situation in Andalusia).
The court proceedings regarding the appointment of David Sánchez have been ongoing for several days. The focus is not only on the circumstances of the creation of the position but also on the possible influence of political figures on staffing decisions within government bodies. According to public sources, Diputación de Badajoz is a key administrative body in the province, responsible for allocating budget funds and implementing regional programs. In Spain, transparency issues in high-level appointments regularly become the subject of public and judicial debate. The hearings are expected to continue for several more days, after which the court will issue its verdict on the charges.
