The judge investigating Begoña Gómez, the wife of the Prime Minister, and her advisor at Moncloa for alleged influence peddling and business corruption has summoned the Minister of the Presidency and Justice, Félix Bolaños, as a witness on April 16. Cristina Álvarez, who was hired as an advisor to Begoña Gómez shortly after Sánchez arrived at La Moncloa, was responsible for the agenda and security of the president's wife.
According to the documentation of the case, the advisor received emails intended for Gómez regarding the creation and coordination of her chair, reaching out to sponsors for the study program. As the Director of Programs of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Cristina Álvarez was initially summoned as a witness and later as an investigated party in the case.
Minister Félix Bolaños will respond to all questions posed to him in his capacity as a witness, should the facts be confirmed. The decision to hire Cristina Álvarez is being analyzed by the investigating judge to determine who made that decision and under what circumstances it was carried out.
Cristina Álvarez, coming from the company Inmark where she worked with Sánchez's wife, was hired as level 26 staff with the title of Director of Programs of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Government. The investigation focuses on discerning whether Begoña Gómez influenced the direction of a chair and two master's programs at the Complutense University of Madrid and the Africa Center of the Instituto de Empresa due to being married to the Prime Minister.
After changing her status to being investigated, Cristina Álvarez requested the Civil Guard to register calls linked to the Complutense University and individuals related to the investigation. She is accused of influence peddling, business corruption, embezzlement, and professional intrusiveness in relation to the direction of the chair. She signed letters of recommendation for a businessman as the director of the UCM chair in a public competition in which her companies participated.
