Last year, there were a total of 56 corruption-related sentences handed down by Spanish courts, with one third of them being acquittals. In cases where penalties were imposed, 15 resulted from agreements between the accused and the Prosecutor’s Office, 20 without such agreements, and the remaining three were partially convicting. Judges issued indictments or trial orders against 256 individuals in the 32 corruption cases concluded last year. Of these, 71 were legal entities (companies and other entities with rights and obligations). The numbers are lower than those of 2022, when Spanish courts issued 61 sentences, with 16 acquittals. There are around 30 pending trials this year for major corruption cases like Gürtel, Lezo, and Púnica, involving former PP officials.
This repository of information collects data from the third quarter of 2015 to the present day, both at the national level and by autonomous communities. It is publicly accessible and uses indicators such as the number of accused and/or prosecuted individuals, the number of procedures, sentences issued and their outcomes, and the number of individuals imprisoned for these crimes. It is updated every three months and focuses on cases of public corruption, affecting officials and public figures in the exercise of their duties involving public funds. The offenses covered include urban planning malpractice, public officials’ misconduct, embezzlement, bribery, influence peddling, and money laundering.
A significant increase is seen in the number of legal entities prosecuted for corruption-related crimes, reaching 71 out of the 256 individuals indicted last year. The vast majority of these cases were in Andalusia, followed by Madrid and the Valencian Community. The incorporation of companies and other entities in criminal cases is a relatively new concept in the Spanish Penal Code, introduced in 2010 and revised significantly five years later. Following the transposition of the 2019 EU Whistleblowing directive into Spanish law, companies with over 50 employees must provide an internal reporting channel to protect whistleblowers who expose irregularities.
Out of the 256 individuals indicted for corruption offenses in the 32 concluded cases last year, 185 were physical persons, with a predominance of males over females. Andalusia, Madrid, and the Valencian Community had the highest number of individuals prosecuted. Despite these figures, the prison population reflects minimal impact, with 91 inmates incarcerated for corruption-related offenses, mostly for embezzlement and bribery. The resurgence of corruption as a major concern among Spaniards is evident in recent surveys, with a significant rise in its ranking in the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) opinion polls from the previous months.
The increase in public concern over corruption is timely, with high-profile cases involving former government officials, football executives, and prominent politicians making headlines. The ongoing investigations, judicial sentences, and upcoming trials indicate a sustained effort to combat corruption in Spain, albeit with challenges in prosecuting both individuals and legal entities. The evolving legal framework and regulatory measures demonstrate a commitment to addressing corrupt practices and holding accountable those responsible, contributing to greater transparency and accountability in public institutions.
