The Unusual Excuse of Begoña Gómez's Advisor to Not Testify Before the Judge

Begoña Gómez's advisor in Moncloa is once again at the center of controversy. The assistant in Moncloa, Cristina Álvarez, stated this Wednesday before Judge Peinado that she doesn't know the reasons why she has been charged.

For this reason, she could not testify. This defense strategy is similar to the one used by Begoña Gómez in her first summons before the Court on July 5th.

After her appearance in the courtroom, Álvarez went with her lawyer to the Court's secretariat to obtain information. Subsequently, she returned to the magistrate, although after a few minutes, she left the court without offering her testimony.

Cristina Álvarez had already been in the Madrid investigating courts on December 20th as a witness. At that time, she acknowledged before Judge Juan Carlos Peinado the authorship of the emails. In them, she expressed to the heads of Reale Seguros that Begoña Gómez would "love" for them to continue sponsoring the Extraordinary Chair of Competitive Social Transformation.

The same one she co-directed at the Complutense University of Madrid. Álvarez explained that she did it as a "favor" for a friend, differentiating this action from the tasks she performs as an assistant, managing her schedule "365 days a year, 24 hours a day."

In the order that modified her procedural situation, Judge Peinado indicates that the proceedings carried out so far were aimed at her participation. "In conjunction" with Álvarez's testimony, they allowed "inferring her participation" in the crimes of influence peddling and business corruption. For which a case was opened against Begoña Gómez.

Subsequently, Álvarez has answered her lawyer's questions. Meanwhile, she has insisted that she had nothing to do with Begoña Gómez's Chair nor did she know anyone from the companies with which the agreement was signed.

The New Revelation That Corners Begoña Gómez About the Software She Denied Existing

This past week concluded the investigation commission in the Assembly of the Community of Madrid about the chair directed by Begoña Gómez. But it has advanced significantly, although leaving a growing enigma, the whereabouts of the technological project she led.

The same one that should be in the hands of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM).

The revelation of the main companies involved has uncovered the controversy. They have confirmed before the commission that they delivered the software in a digital folder they thought belonged to the UCM, according to the testimonies obtained by the regional Assembly.

Meanwhile, Begoña Gómez's defense, like the collaborator in the chair, José Miguel Ruano, claim that said software doesn't exist. Additionally, the Vice-Rector of Technology at the UCM, Jorge Gómez Sanz, has stated that he has not been able to locate it.

José Antonio Martínez Aguilar, general director of Making Science, one of the companies participating in the development, explained:

"We delivered it in the directory enabled by the Complutense, a space within the Google Cloud platform. Telefónica, Minsait (Indra) and Making Science, the companies in charge of developing the software, all deposited the material in that folder."

Meanwhile, the project manager at Indra, Amado Ramos, stated:

"Our goal was to achieve a minimum viable product in the software development. That's what we delivered."

He detailed that the team discussed the progress in weekly meetings with Blanca de Juan, secretary of the chair and a trusted person of Begoña Gómez. Also with Gómez herself.

According to him, the software was deposited in the mentioned folder, which, in his opinion, had been provided by the university.