Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, overseeing the investigation into Begoña Gómez, has prohibited Félix Bolaños, Spain's Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Courts, from providing written testimony in this case.

Peinado has requested to visit the Palace of Moncloa and has stipulated that he must be granted entry without unnecessary delays, as outlined in a resolution issued on Monday.

Bolaños is scheduled to testify on April 16, prompted by inquiries into the hiring of Cristina Álvarez as an advisor to Gómez, who is married to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Bolaños was mentioned during the February 24 testimony of Alfredo González, former Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency, who confirmed that he proposed Álvarez's appointment in 2018.

In his request to testify, Bolaños sought to do so in writing, as permitted by law under certain conditions.

However, the judge rejected this request, emphasizing that Bolaños' knowledge of the relevant events stemmed from his previous role as Secretary General of the Presidency, not his current ministerial position.

Peinado noted that the testimony must be delivered orally on the scheduled date.

Bolaños raised concerns regarding security risks associated with the judicial team's visit to his office at the Ministry of Justice in Madrid, supporting his argument with a report purportedly generated by the head of his security detail, dated March 18, 2025. The judge dismissed this report, criticizing its lack of signature, identification of authorship, or any identifiable person responsible for its contents, questioning its validity.

The judge also expressed willingness to travel to the Palace of Moncloa, referencing a previous occasion in July 2024 when he questioned Pedro Sánchez, who exercised his right not to testify due to his familial ties to the case.

In this recent resolution, Peinado complained about the excessive wait time experienced during that visit at the Moncloa security checkpoints.

Peinado outlined that despite extensive security measures at the presidential complex, there were delays that significantly extended access times for the judicial commission, which created safety concerns for those involved.

In contrast, the lawyer for Begoña Gómez was allowed immediate entry during the same time frame.

Peinado indicated that there are no objections to traveling to Moncloa, provided that access for the judicial vehicle is assured.

As an alternative, he suggested that the Ministry of the Presidency could offer an official vehicle for the judicial transfer to and from the presidential complex.

The government has five days to respond to this proposal.