A Madrid judge has launched a separate investigation into a Red.es contract after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office reported possible misconduct. The case involves a €4 million award to Juan Carlos Barrabés, with ties to Begoña Gómez.
A Madrid court has initiated a fresh investigation into the so-called 'caso Begoña' after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office flagged possible misconduct in a major public contract. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado is now examining whether the €4 million Red.es award to entrepreneur Juan Carlos Barrabés involved prevarication, following a report from the UCO (Central Operative Unit of the Guardia Civil) that identified irregularities in the bidding process.
The contract in question was granted to Barrabés, a businessman previously linked to Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s Prime Minister. Barrabés had assisted Gómez in launching her academic chair at the Complutense University and received letters of recommendation from her for public tenders. According to the European Prosecutor’s findings, Red.es officials allegedly concealed that Barrabés’s offer failed to meet a key requirement: the submission of a 'white book' mandated by the tender documents. This omission allowed his bid to be subjectively evaluated and ultimately selected.
The UCO uncovered these issues while reviewing two Red.es contracts awarded to Barrabés, both of which included recommendation letters from Begoña Gómez and fell under the European Prosecutor’s jurisdiction. A third contract, also involving Barrabés, was handled by Judge Peinado’s court. Internal Red.es emails reviewed by investigators suggest that staff intentionally hid the missing documentation in Barrabés’s proposal. In all three cases, the same Red.es official—Luis Prieto Cuerdo, Director of Digital Economy—was responsible for the subjective evaluation that led to Barrabés’s selection. Prieto Cuerdo reports to the Ministry for Digital Transformation, headed by Óscar López.
The contract, officially titled 'AceleraPyme Office Services – Support and Advisory Services,' had a budget of €4,053,500 and was ultimately awarded to Innova Next, Barrabés’s company, in partnership with KPMG. The European Prosecutor’s Office concluded that the facts could constitute both prevarication and fraud against the interests of the European Union, and initially sought to take over the case. However, after a legal challenge, Spain’s National Court ordered the matter returned to Judge Peinado.
With this new development, Judge Peinado has opened a separate case file and requested the Madrid Prosecutor’s Office to determine the legal classification of the alleged offenses. This new line of inquiry is being processed independently and does not affect the main investigation into Begoña Gómez, which has already concluded and is awaiting a decision on whether to proceed to trial or impose precautionary measures.
Red.es is a public entity under Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation, responsible for promoting digital innovation and supporting SMEs. The UCO is a specialized unit of the Guardia Civil focused on complex financial and corruption cases. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, operational since 2021, investigates crimes affecting the EU’s financial interests. The outcome of this investigation could have implications for public procurement oversight and the handling of EU funds in Spain.
