Lorraine Williamson
The long-time partner of Madrid’s powerful regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso is facing prosecution for a major tax fraud scheme worth €1.7 million. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of three years, nine months, and one day for Alberto González Amador, a businessman with two consultancy firms at the heart of the alleged scam.
The case centres on fifteen false invoices submitted during the 2020 and 2021 tax years. Spanish tax authorities flagged the documents as fraudulent following an extensive investigation. By deducting €1.7 million in fabricated expenses from his earnings, Amador allegedly avoided paying €155,000 in 2020 and nearly €196,000 the following year.
Three other individuals are believed to have helped prepare the falsified documents, enabling Amador’s two companies to understate their profits and reduce their corporate tax bills.
Failed plea deal and fresh indictment
In an attempt to avoid trial, Amador admitted guilt and proposed a plea bargain that would have seen him serve an eight-month sentence. However, the agreement collapsed after objections from the Public Prosecution Service. The court then decided to proceed with a full trial.
The case will now be heard at Madrid’s Provincial Court. The judge leading the process, María Inmaculada Iglesias, issued the indictment in late May following a year-long inquiry. Iglesias is due to retire imminently, making this one of her final cases.
Second case looms
Separately, left-wing parties PSOE and Más Madrid have asked the court to open a second case against Amador. They allege he received a €500,000 payment from a senior figure at private healthcare giant Quirónsalud in exchange for business favours. That case is still under review, but it adds to the growing political heat surrounding the president of the Community of Madrid.
Political tensions boil over
The charges against Amador have triggered fierce political backlash. The conservative Ayuso, a key figure in Spain’s Partido Popular, has long clashed with the national government led by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
After right-leaning outlet OK Diario reported that prosecutors were actually pushing for a six-year sentence, Ayuso’s chief of staff Miguel Ángel Rodríguez took to social media platform X to accuse Sánchez of manipulating the justice system for political gain. He labelled Spain’s attorney general “corrupt”, fuelling an already volatile political atmosphere ahead of a potential general election cycle.
Judicial drama continues
With the first trial imminent and a possible second case on the horizon, the legal storm surrounding Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s inner circle shows no signs of abating. As her partner faces criminal charges and the Spanish media keeps the spotlight firmly on the courtroom, the political fallout could shape national discourse well beyond the Madrid region.
Source: El Pais