Phoenix 24
Spain’s National Court advances a major corporate corruption prosecution.
MADRID, SPAIN — July 2026. Spain’s National Court has ordered BBVA, former chairman Francisco González and several former executives and police officials to stand trial over alleged illegal assignments commissioned from retired police officer José Manuel Villarejo. The proceedings form part of the ninth section of the wider Tándem investigation. No date has yet been established for the trial.
The case examines BBVA’s alleged use of Villarejo and his Cenyt business network between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors maintain that the assignments involved surveillance and the unlawful collection of confidential information concerning business leaders, politicians and journalists. The alleged services were reportedly authorized outside the bank’s established internal controls.
BBVA will be tried as a legal entity for alleged bribery and 52 offenses involving the discovery and disclosure of secrets. Anticorruption prosecutors are seeking a fine of approximately €181 million against the bank. BBVA maintains that the investigated conduct does not create criminal liability for the institution and says it has cooperated fully with the judicial authorities.
González faces accusations that include bribery, disclosure of secrets, criminal-group involvement, unfair administration and falsification of documents. Prosecutors are requesting a cumulative sentence of 173 years for the former chairman, while seeking 216 years for Villarejo and 243 years for former BBVA security chief Julio Corrochano. The requested totals result from the accumulation of numerous alleged offenses and do not represent final convictions.
The court imposed a joint bond of approximately €1.17 million to cover potential civil liabilities. The defendants now have ten days to submit their written defenses and propose evidence before the case moves to the Criminal Chamber. The trial will place one of Spain’s largest financial institutions under unprecedented judicial scrutiny.
A years-long investigation has now reached the courtroom’s threshold.