A Madrid court is examining five complaints related to the purchase of a government-owned apartment by the administration of regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The case involves the acquisition of a 6.3 million euro property by the public company Planifica Madrid, which has sparked allegations of administrative misconduct and corruption. According to reports obtained by El País, the Fiscalía has received four formal complaints, three from individuals and one from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), and has forwarded them to the eighth criminal court in Madrid. This court has already initiated preliminary investigations following a complaint filed by the political party Iustitia Europa. The complainants argue that the purchase of the apartment, intended to house temporarily the office of Ayuso, was conducted in a secretive manner without proper documentation or justification in the annual budget of Planifica Madrid. They allege that this opaque process constitutes a series of crimes under investigation. The five complaints have been consolidated into a single file, as they all target the board of directors of Planifica Madrid for the purchase of the apartment located at number 35 Calle General Martínez Campos. The Community of Madrid had previously put the property up for sale at 6.7 million euros, though many questions remain unanswered. Among these are who authorized the purchase, how and why the specific property was chosen, and why there was no publicly available documentation justifying the transaction. The property, according to sources, could not serve as either an office or a presidential residence, raising further concerns over its suitability. The purchase took place with complete secrecy, and it was only through the exposure by El País that the deal became known. Planifica Madrid did not include the transaction in its website’s agenda, instead focusing on minor matters. The government was required to approve the purchase during a council meeting, yet it failed to disclose the information in a subsequent press briefing. Explanations provided by Ayuso and her chief of cabinet, Miguel Ángel García Martín, have been deemed insufficient. Opposition parties have called for the appearance of the cabinet member before the Assembly of Madrid after Ayuso pointed to her department as responsible for resolving the issue. The PSOE has accused the board of Planifica Madrid of potential offenses including administrative abuse and misappropriation of funds. Their complaint highlights procedural gaps and irregularities affecting public administration and its assets. It notes the absence of public documentation supporting the transaction, which should have been made available. Meanwhile, the Community of Madrid urges patience until the case is uploaded to the Transparency Portal once the sale concludes, assuming a buyer willing to pay an additional 400,000 euros above the purchase price. The final price of 6.3 million includes a commission of 189,000 euros paid to a luxury real estate agency, Promora, according to industry sources. The estimated market value of the 485-square-meter apartment, including a 200-square-meter terrace, ranges around six million euros. Iustitia Europa, known for bringing legal actions against current political figures, recently filed a complaint against King Mohammed VI of Morocco regarding the influx of undocumented immigrants into Ceuta, resulting in a humanitarian crisis that led to 141 deaths. The party, which achieved limited success in recent European elections with just 27,407 votes (0.15% of the total), continues to challenge high-profile cases. The individual complainants were identified by the Fiscalía as Jabonero Osorio, Iván de Ángel de Diego, and Dionisio Cabeza. Separately, Pedro Corbalán, the CEO of Planifica Madrid, has faced scrutiny due to his prior role in a municipal entity where financial irregularities were uncovered. He served as the manager of the municipal housing and urban management company in Las Rozas from 2011 to 2016, during which time audits revealed hidden information about contracts and financial discrepancies. His tenure saw repeated warnings from auditors about non-compliance with transparency requirements, leading to his eventual dismissal in early 2016. These past issues raise questions about the integrity of the leadership overseeing the recent controversial purchase.
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