Madrid's Audience facing Gómez's appeal to overturn Judge Peinado's order concerning his email access

In a recent development, Spanish judge Peinado has accused Begoña Gómez, a prominent figure in the media, of embezzlement. This is the fourth time the judge has summoned Gómez to testify.

The judge's investigation focuses on four main areas: influence peddling in favour of the Barrabés group, management of Gómez in her role as chair, alleged unauthorized use by her spouse of software from the chair she co-directed at Complutense, and the appointment of Cristina Álvarez as an advisor to Gómez.

Álvarez, who was Gómez's advisor in 2018 and currently holds a full-time position with long working hours, was appointed in July of that year. She worked at Moncloa, the official residence and workplace of the Spanish Prime Minister.

The judge had initially begun investigating the alleged embezzlement in the context of Álvarez's hiring. However, it was not until mid-August that Gómez was charged with this crime.

Judge Peinado has emphasized that certain conduct, which may be considered embezzlement in some contexts, is habitual in the social uses of many countries and may not be sustainable as a crime.

However, the judge also believes that the non-investigation of the Air Europa rescue case constitutes "prevarication" in the case against Gómez.

The judge's decision to summon Gómez and Álvarez for testimony on September 10 and 11 has sparked controversy. Some argue that the judge should have accompanied this measure with cautions to avoid unnecessarily aggravating Gómez's right to privacy, given her undeniable media impact.

In response, Gómez's lawyer has flatly rejected any indications of the four crimes (influence peddling, corruption in business, unauthorized use of trademark, and intrusion) that the judge has imputed to her. The legal proceedings are ongoing.