Madrid Investigative Court No. 8 has opened a formal inquiry into Planifica Madrid’s purchase of a €6.3 million penthouse in Madrid’s Chamberí district. The public company formalized the purchase deed on 14 April 2026. The acquisition is under judicial investigation after complaints questioned its transparency and legality.
Information from information obtained by EL PAÍS, the court acted after the Prosecutor’s Office forwarded four new complaints: three from private individuals and one from the PSOE. They joined an earlier complaint by Iustitia Europea, which initially triggered the case. Complainants allege the purchase lacked adequate documentation, budgetary authorization or public justification. These remain allegations, not established findings.
The penthouse was initially associated with providing temporary institutional space while renovation work was carried out at the Real Casa de Correos. The Comunidad de Madrid has since described it as support space for government departments, saying it was not intended as an official residence for Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Regional government sources maintain that Planifica Madrid acquired the property within the public company’s corporate purpose, which includes managing regional real estate for administrative needs.
Criticism has centered on how the purchase was justified and authorized, along with whether financial controls were applied and whether the price was appropriate. The PSOE questioned whether Planifica Madrid’s board specifically approved the property, price, deposit and investment, and whether the file included a prior assessment of need. Critics also raised questions about the purchase’s transparency and possible planning issues affecting the terrace. The acquisition reportedly was not listed on the company’s transparency portal.
The judicial case is separate from an accounting review by Spain’s Tribunal de Cuentas. That proceeding followed five complaints, including submissions from the PSOE-M and Más Madrid, and concerns possible financial liability or harm to public funds. The Tribunal sought the views of the Prosecutor’s Office, the regional government and Planifica Madrid on whether to appoint an investigating delegate or close the proceedings. The Comunidad de Madrid asked for the case to be archived, arguing that the transaction complied with the law and the company’s statutes and caused no economic harm. The PSOE also sought examination of possible responsibility involving Pedro Corbalán.
Planifica Madrid later put the penthouse up for sale with a minimum asking price of €6,694,201, above its €6.3 million purchase cost. After the attempted sale failed for a second time, the property was offered through a permanent public-offer process. It will remain on offer indefinitely unless the company withdraws it or awards it to a buyer. The failed sale has left the property in regional government hands while the accounting and judicial proceedings continue.
The dispute has intensified scrutiny of public-sector transparency and the management of government assets in Spain. The regional government has defended the purchase as lawful and intended for institutional use, while complainants have questioned its necessity, authorization and handling of public funds. The accounting review and court inquiry are separate processes, and neither amounts to a final determination of the allegations. Earlier coverage of the political fallout and legal actions is available in this report on the initial political storm surrounding the penthouse purchase.
