The proceedings center on the bank’s relationship with Jose Manuel Villarejo, a former police commissioner whose private investigation agency allegedly performed illegal assignments for various firms between 2004 and 2016. While BBVA has consistently maintained that internal reviews found no evidence of spying, the anti-corruption prosecutor seeks a fine of 181.8 million euros against the institution. Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence totaling 173 years for Gonzalez, though Spanish law limits actual incarceration to a maximum of 15 years.

Gonzalez, who resigned as honorary chairman in 2019 to shield the bank from reputational fallout, denies all allegations of wrongdoing. This case represents the first instance where top-level corporate leadership will face trial in the broader Villarejo probe. Other major Spanish entities, including Iberdrola, Repsol, and CaixaBank, were previously under scrutiny for similar connections, though those specific cases were eventually dropped or resulted in acquittals for the executives involved.