This was Bolaños' tense statement before Judge Peinado: "Don't crack a smile."

The tension between Judge Juan Carlos Peinado and the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations, Félix Bolaños, was palpable in the latter's office, where he was questioned as a witness on April 16.

In the audio of the statement, which La Vanguardia had access to, the judge investigating the wife of the Prime Minister, Begoña Gómez, and who this Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to charge the minister with embezzlement and false testimony, accused him of evasive answers by starting his statements with "I believe...".

Faced with Bolaños's continued attempt to explain what he believed had happened with the hiring of Gómez's advisor, Cristina Álvarez, by the Presidency, Peinado lost patience with the minister's response. The tension reached such a point that Peinado snapped at the Justice Minister: "Don't even smile."

Bolaños had to reply that he found the interrogation he was being subjected to “very surprising, which is why I smiled.” “It must be because you're not used to interrogations,” the judge retorted. “Absolutely not,” the minister replied. “Then let's continue with the interrogation,” Peinado concluded.

Tensions between the two escalated after the judge of Madrid's 41st investigating court played Bolaños an audio recording of a witness's statement about the hiring of Cristina Álvarez as an advisor to President Pedro Sánchez's wife.

“Based on your knowledge, is this testimony true?” Peinado asked. Bolaños then began to explain that he “believed” that what former Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency Alfredo González had said was true to how Álvarez had been hired. “Do you believe or are you sure?” Peinado insisted repeatedly. “Beliefs are one thing, and witness testimony is another. Please don't interrupt me. I'm asking you if what you heard is true,” Peinado insisted.

"I use the term 'believe' because, in my opinion, it corresponds to reality," Bolaños replied. But Peinado continued: "Let's see, it's not about your opinion, but about your knowledge."

The minister tried again: "Of the facts that (Alfredo González) has stated, everything I've heard is true, based on my knowledge of the situation." "You don't disagree with anything?" he asked. "In general terms, I don't disagree." Peinado wanted to clarify further: "And with anything specific?"

"Everything seemed coherent and consistent to me," Bolaños clarified. But Peinado wasn't satisfied: "Did it seem right to you or is it correct? You're answering me in a way that doesn't correspond to a courtroom testimony. You're evasive, and that's like refusing to answer," Peinado warned again. Bolaños replied: "From what I've heard, everything you've said seems credible to me and consistent with the reality I know. It's not an evasive statement," he added.