Begoña Gómez's advisor denies negotiations with the Complutense before the chair was created
The Moncloa advisor who assists Begoña Gómez, Cristina Álvarez, has denied having used her position for her own benefit or that of third parties, and has denied having intervened in any actions related to the chair at the Complutense University of Madrid that was co-directed by the wife of the President of the Government before its creation.
In just ten minutes of questions from her lawyer, Cristina Álvarez has distanced herself from any intervention related to the chair that Begoña Gómez co-directed at the Complutense University of Madrid before it was created, according to legal sources who informed EFE.
Read also Judge Peinado changes the status of Begoña Gómez's advisor in Moncloa from witness to investigated Carlota Guindal
Álvarez appeared on Wednesday as a suspect before Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is investigating the wife of the Prime Minister for alleged crimes of influence peddling or corruption in business.
According to the sources consulted, his questioning has revolved around the aforementioned chair, about which Álvarez has said that he did nothing before the signing of the creation agreement on October 30, 2020.
He did not contact anyone from the University or the companies sponsoring the chair before signing the agreement, and he has indicated that he did not know anyone from the aforementioned organizations.
According to the sources, Álvarez has assured that he never influenced any public official for his own benefit or that of third parties, nor did he request anything by taking advantage of his position.
But before testifying, she told the judge that she did not know why she was being investigated - something she has appealed to the Madrid Court - and went to the court's office for a few minutes to be formally informed about the matter.
This is not the first time that Álvarez has given her version of events before the magistrate: she already did so on December 20 , when she testified as a witness - with an obligation to tell the truth - that she was hired in 2018 to manage Begoña Gómez's public and private agenda and to monitor her activities for security purposes. Her position, she said, was temporary, and attached to the office of the Presidency of the Government.
Read also Moncloa advisor Cristina Álvarez refuses to testify before the Koldo case commission The Vanguard
She explained that if her name appeared in emails from the Complutense University in 2022, related to documentation of a platform of the chair that Begoña Gómez co-directed, it was because sometimes they included her in a copy to prepare her agenda, but she deleted them. And if she sent an email from her personal account in 2024 to the Communications Director of the Reale company to ask that they continue to co-sponsor the chair, it was because the president's wife asked her for a favor and she did it as a friend.
The advisor was the first to appear before the 41st Court of Instruction in Madrid, where six witnesses have been summoned on Wednesday, including Alfredo González, deputy secretary general of the Presidency of the Government in July 2018, who proposed appointing her.
lavanguardia
