Spain public procurement scandal involving Juan Carlos Barrabés

Internal emails obtained by the anti‑corruption unit UCO reveal that officials repeatedly pressured evaluators to lower the scores of competing bids in public contracts worth around €8 million. The messages show directives such as “the other offers must be lowered, yes or yes” and complaints from technical staff about having to “adjust” reports under orders from senior managers.

The investigation links the manipulated contracts to companies associated with Juan Carlos Barrabés. Support letters signed by Begoña Gómez, the president’s spouse, were counted as merit in the award criteria, a practice the internal control body IGAE judged illegal. Evaluators expressed resentment, noting that the process had become a “loca locura” and that they no longer felt comfortable with the way the files were handled.

The pattern of interference suggests a systematic effort to guarantee the selection of Barrabés‑linked firms, distorting market competition and inflating public spending.