The court warns of delays in the trial of Ayuso's couple for "overload" of work

A Madrid court has warned of potential delays in the trial of Alberto González Amador, the former partner of regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, citing an overload of work. The Penal Court number 19 in Madrid, which is responsible for trying González Amador on charges of tax fraud and document forgery, stated in a written notice that the scheduling of the trial will take into account the heavy workload on the court and the availability of its calendar. This comes amid growing concerns that the trial against Ayuso’s ex-partner could be delayed until after 2027, nearly seven years after the alleged crimes were committed. The court's decision follows another document submitted by the judge overseeing the case, outlining the evidence that will be presented during the trial. This includes acceptance or rejection of witness testimonies and reports requested by both sides. In this instance, the judge has rejected all proposed testimonies from the popular prosecution, led by the PSOE and Más Madrid, meaning that Fernando Camino, a director at Quirón, will not testify as a witness. Only when the court's schedule allows can the trial date be set and the proceedings begin. The legal outlook for González Amador appears bleak. According to a detailed report by the Tax Agency, he is accused of two separate instances of tax evasion over a period of 19 months, involving forged invoices to facilitate these fraudulent activities. The Provincial Court approved in November 2025 the decision to send him to trial, though an agreement with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the State Legal Counsel, representing the Treasury, could potentially avoid the trial itself, rather than a conviction with a prison sentence that would be determined once the trial date is set. González Amador is accused of defrauding less than 600,000 euros, which under Spanish law means the case should be handled by a single-judge Penal Court rather than the Provincial Court, which consists of three judges. The workload on Madrid’s Penal Courts is significantly higher compared to the Provincial Court, contributing to the potential delay. The indictment from the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the State Legal Counsel seeks a prison sentence of three years and nine months for the businessman and intermediary, while the popular prosecution, represented by PSOE and Más Madrid, demands five years. These documents were submitted in June. González Amador has yet to testify regarding the double tax fraud and document forgery, citing multiple professional commitments with Quirón as his reason for not appearing. Meanwhile, the trial related to the alleged tax fraud and document forgery continues, alongside the investigation into a separate charge involving the supposed bribe paid by Ayuso’s former partner to Fernando Camino, a Quirón executive. It is alleged that both parties secretly agreed to split a commission of 2 million euros from mask sales and conceal this arrangement through the fraudulent purchase of a company owned by Camino’s wife for half a million euros, despite its minimal value.