José Luis Martínez-Almeida

At the start of the pandemic, Madrid City Council purchased masks, gloves and tests worth nearly 11 million euros from suppliers introduced by Luis Medina and Alberto Luceño. Both intermediaries received very substantial commissions. Almeida had communicated with Medina to facilitate institutional contact. At trial, fraud against the city council was ultimately not considered proven; Luceño was convicted of tax offences and forgery, while Medina was acquitted.

Attribution

Protagonist is the victim

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Almeida's government approved a planning amendment allowing a major property development on the former Cuatro Caminos Metro depot site. The TSJM annulled the plan in 2025, notably because planning alternatives had not been adequately considered, and the Supreme Court rejected appeals seeking to preserve the project in March 2026.

Attribution

Political responsibility

In 2020, Almeida's municipal government declared 232 projects originating from the Carmena administration's participatory budgets to have become unfeasible. Más Madrid challenged both the decision and the denial of its right to submit observations. After several levels of proceedings, the Supreme Court rejected the city council's position in 2026 and confirmed that the municipal group had to be allowed to challenge the measure.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following reports of possible attempts to investigate Isabel Díaz Ayuso's brother, the city council established a committee to determine whether council or EMVS structures had been used to finance or commission private detectives. No municipal payments to detectives were established, but the committee's political findings noted obstacles to clarifying the facts and breaches of the ethical code by certain municipal officials.

Attribution

Political responsibility

Upon becoming mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida temporarily suspended penalties under Madrid Central, the low-emission zone introduced by his predecessor. Administrative courts annulled the moratorium, finding in particular that protecting health and the environment took precedence over the reasons advanced by the city council.

Attribution

Political responsibility