David Sánchez awaits verdict at Moncloa while playing the piano

David Sánchez awaits verdict at Moncloa between piano chords

The brother of Spain's Prime Minister, David Sánchez, is these days awaiting the court ruling in the case in which he is charged with tax fraud and embezzlement, and he is doing so from the official residence of La Moncloa. According to sources close to him, he is nervous and seeks refuge in the piano, an instrument he plays for hours inside the presidential complex. An image that contrasts with the seriousness of the charges against him.

A tailor-made job that never existed

The core of the case is the creation, in 2017, of the Oficina de las Artes Escénicas (Performing Arts Office) at the Fruta de Badajoz (Badajoz Provincial Council), a position designed exclusively for David Sánchez. According to the investigation, the PM's brother did not even know where the office was or what its duties were. For years he collected a civil servant's salary without performing any work, in what some describe as "a little handout with a civil servant's pay". The defence argues that the position was real and that David Sánchez carried out cultural tasks, but the prosecution maintains it was pure and simple cronyism.

Tax residence in Portugal: the other front

In parallel, the Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating whether David Sánchez falsely declared his residence in Portugal in order to pay less Spanish income tax (IRPF). According to the prosecution, this move would have allowed him to save a significant amount in taxes by taking advantage of the Portuguese tax regime. The Portuguese residence was allegedly fictitious, as he spent long periods in Spain, even inside the La Moncloa complex. This point has generated particular outrage, as it adds to the alleged labour fraud.

Acquittal or symbolic sentence?

Expectations about the verdict vary. One line of analysis holds that David Sánchez could be acquitted, on the grounds that the evidence is not conclusive and that the charges do not reach the severity required for a firm conviction. Others predict a light, symbolic sentence that does not involve actual prison time, especially if mitigating circumstances apply. The question circulating is whether the PM's brother could go to prison or whether, on the contrary, the sentence will fall below two years, which would allow him to avoid jail. The ruling, initially expected yesterday, could come in September.

The political noise surrounding the case

The case has gone beyond the courts to become a political weapon. The opposition uses it to point to alleged nepotism in Sánchez's circle, while the government avoids commenting. The image of the PM's brother living at Moncloa while playing the piano as he awaits his verdict adds a surreal component that fuels the criticism. It is not usual for someone under investigation for alleged embezzlement to reside at the seat of executive power, and this has sparked a broad debate about the limits on the use of public spaces.

The judicial outcome remains to be seen. What is clear is that the piano music cannot drown out the background noise of a case that mixes nepotism, tax fraud and a very particular tenant at La Moncloa.