Juan Carlos Barrabés, a prominent entrepreneur from Benasque, Huesca, has spoken publicly about his role in the judicial proceedings involving Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s prime minister. In his first interview since being named as an investigated party, Barrabés said he does not see himself as a victim but as a necessary part of the legal process. The case has drawn national attention.
The case centers in part on Barrabés’s professional links to Gómez, including his work as a lecturer in a master’s program at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in which she was involved. The program at issue is the Cátedra Extraordinaria de Cambio Social Competitiva. The investigation, led by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, has also examined public contracts awarded to companies associated with Barrabés by the state entity Red.es. Scrutiny has focused on whether the awards complied with public-procurement rules.
The proceedings have shifted as Madrid’s provincial appellate court reviewed their scope. It narrowed certain measures against Gómez, lifting her requirement to report periodically and the travel restriction; her passport was no longer being held. The court allowed proceedings concerning alleged influence peddling and misuse of public funds to continue. In a separate procedural decision, it excluded Barrabés from the jury trial concerning Gómez but maintained an investigation into the legality of public-contract awards involving him. These rulings concern the direction and scope of the proceedings; they are not findings of criminal liability.
By September 21, 2026, Judge Peinado had ordered oral proceedings against Gómez over alleged influence peddling and misuse of public funds. The case has examined her activities at the Complutense University and her professional relationship with Barrabés. The appellate decisions have treated the parties’ procedural positions separately: proceedings concerning Barrabés continue in relation to public procurement, while the allegations against Gómez remain subject to the court process.
Barrabés, who built his reputation in the 1990s with an online outdoor clothing store and later became a pioneer in digital entrepreneurship training, described the personal toll of the investigation. When he was formally named in the case, he was recovering from POEMS syndrome, a serious illness that required a stem-cell transplant. Despite his hospitalization, authorities seized his mobile phone; the court later overturned the measure. He also described the fallout, including the forced sale of his company for a symbolic euro, which left him with impressive debt.
Barrabés denied having a personal or advisory relationship with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, saying their only interactions took place at business forums. He said his connection with Gómez was strictly professional, limited to a few classes in a sustainability master’s program, and rejected any suggestion of friendship or ongoing contact with her.
On the Red.es contracts, Barrabés said his company competed for more than 300 public tenders and faced intense competition from larger consultancies, many of which saw their revenues surge because of European funding. He insisted there was no undue influence in the contract awards and denied holding undeclared funds or secret accounts. The legal question in the procurement inquiry is whether the relevant public awards were lawful; the appellate court’s decision to continue examining the issue does not determine the outcome.
The investigation has affected Barrabés’s personal and professional life. He described being targeted at a vulnerable moment but said he was not seeking to have the case dismissed; he wants to prove his innocence in court. He also voiced concern about the broader climate of public scrutiny and what he called the “economy of misfortune” surrounding high-profile legal cases.
The case is part of a wider pattern of judicial and political scrutiny in Spain, where public officials and business figures have faced investigations over contract awards and alleged misconduct. Other high-profile figures, including María Jesús Montero, have also publicly addressed their involvement in similar probes, as reported in a related article on the challenges faced by PSOE officials during the Leire case investigation.
Spain’s legal system has increasingly focused on transparency and accountability in public procurement, particularly amid the influx of European recovery funds in recent years. Red.es is responsible for digital change projects, and the contracts under scrutiny have drawn attention to competition and oversight in public-sector procurement. The case remains active, and its eventual outcome may shape future scrutiny of public awards and the reputational risks for entrepreneurs involved in government projects.
