# Spain Red.es contract investigation

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/spain-redes-contract-investigation
> Updated: 2026-08-04T12:14:04.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

In early August 2026, an accountant at Red.es reported that her supervisor ordered the permanent deletion of accounting records related to a 2021 €2.149 million SME advisory contract awarded to a joint venture of Innova Next (part of the Barrabés Group) and KPMG. The contract was examined by Spain’s Central Operational Unit (UCO) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office for possible prevarication and misuse of EU funds, with attention to the influence of the prime minister’s spouse. Two days later, a Madrid judge dismissed a separate criminal investigation into the contract, archiving the case at the European prosecutor’s request and noting that jurisdiction lay with the EU authority.

On 4 August 2026, the General Council of the Judiciary opened a disciplinary inquiry into Judge Juan Carlos Peinado after a Manos Limpias lawyer complained of disrespectful conduct during a preliminary hearing in the “Begoña” case. In the same period, Peinado referred a distinct probe concerning alleged irregularities in the same Red.es‑managed contract—specifically the omission of a required “white paper”—to the European Public Prosecutor. After the Audiencia Provincial removed businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés from a popular‑jury trial linked to the prime minister’s wife, Peinado archived that piece without further action, while the European prosecutor continues its investigation.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-04: Judge Juan Carlos Peinado faces disciplinary probe and EU contract investigation

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado is under a CGPJ disciplinary inquiry after a lawyer’s complaint and has referred a EU‑funded contract probe involving businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés to the European Public Prosecutor

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/juan-carlos-barrabs-contract-case-closed-by-spanish-judge

### 2026-08-02: Red.es accountant alleges direct order to erase contract data linked to businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés

Red.es accountant Claudia C. denounced a superior’s order to delete records of a 2021 contract awarded to Juan Carlos Barrabés, a friend of the prime minister’s wife, prompting a UCO and European prosecutor’s‑​

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/redes-accountant-alleges-direct-order-to-erase-contract-data-linked-to-businessman-juan-carlos-barra

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Cite as: Spain Red.es contract investigation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/spain-redes-contract-investigation