Partner of Madrid regional leader Ayuso faces alleged tax fraud probe

The case involves Alberto Gónzalez Amador, partner of Madrid’s regional leader Ayuso (main image), an outspoken hardliner from Spain’s right-wing opposition People’s Party (PP).

This news coincides with Spain’s left-wing government grappling with the aftermath of another corruption scandal involving a former socialist minister’s senior aide, drawing a barrage of attacks from the PP. ALSO READ: Right-wing opposition calls for resignations in ‘Koldo scandal’.

According to the complaint filed earlier this month, prosecutors allege that Amador filed false invoices to reduce the tax liabilities of his company, ‘Maxwell Cremona Ingeniería y Procesos Sociedad para el Fomento del Medioambiente SL’.

ElDiario.es, the Spanish news outlet that first reported the story, revealed that the company, initially focused on engineering services, shifted its operations to healthcare-related activities during the Covid-19 pandemic, which commenced in early 2020.

The alleged corruption pertains to the tax years 2020 and 2021. Amador faces charges of tax fraud and document forgery.

Additionally, prosecutors have implicated four other individuals associated with nine companies that issued invoices for services never rendered.

The investigation was initiated in January following a report from Spain’s tax agency, Agencia Tributaria, based on an audit of Maxwell Cremona’s activities during 2020 and 2021.

‘During the audit … it was noted that in light of the increased turnover during these years, this company … did certain things with the sole aim of reducing its tax burden, deducting expenses based on invoices that did not correspond to services actually rendered,’ prosecutors said.

‘The taxpayer … knowingly and voluntarily submitted untruthful corporate tax returns for the 2020 and 2021 tax periods, failing to pay the amount of €155,000 for 2020 and €195,951.41 for 2021′.

In response, Ayuso said she was aware Amador was being ‘inspected by the tax office’. But she but presented it as a government-led attempt ‘to cook up a conspiracy out of a tax inspection into a citizen who has nothing to do with the Madrid regional government’.

National government spokeswoman Pilar Alegría responded by saying the allegations were ‘very serious’ and it was ‘absolutely essential that (Ayuso) give an appropriate explanation’.

Two years ago, Ayuso came under scrutiny following reports that her brother had pocketed nearly €300,000 in commission for face mask contracts awarded by her regional administration during the pandemic.

At the time, she conceded that her brother had been paid for securing the delivery of masks from China but insisted everything was above board and legal.

ALSO READ: Opinion: three women in Spanish politics – No.2 Isabel Díaz Ayuso: the right profile.