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Corruption · offences against public administration

Corruption offences: criminal defence

Criminal defence throughout Spain · offices in Madrid and Alicante

Bribery, misappropriation of public funds, influence peddling, misfeasance and corruption in business. High-profile cases, reinforced institutional prosecutions and penalties carrying disqualification: the defence demands technical skill, composure and reputational management.

In brief. Offences against the public administration turn on extreme doctrinal precision: who is a public officer for criminal purposes, when a gift becomes bribery, where discretionary decision ends and misfeasance begins, and what assets are public for the purposes of misappropriation. These are also cases involving the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, popular prosecutions and media pressure.

Why it is different

15 yrs
Misfeasance carries disqualification of up to fifteen years, with no term of imprisonment.
2
Offices in Madrid and Alicante; assistance anywhere in Spain.
LIWARD
Our own methodology of legal intelligence and forensic analysis.

Corruption admits no defence without specialisation

Offences against the public administration share a single requirement: extreme doctrinal precision. What constitutes a public officer for criminal purposes, when a gift is bribery, where a discretionary decision ends and misfeasance begins, and what assets are public for the purposes of misappropriation; each concept has fine boundaries in the case law that separate conviction from acquittal.

These are, moreover, cases involving the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, popular prosecutions and media pressure, where every procedural step is amplified. For that reason we combine technical defence of the highest level with rigorous management of the institutional and reputational dimension of the proceedings.

Types of offence

The framework of offences against the public administration

Arts. 419–423 CP

Bribery

The request or acceptance of gifts by an authority or public officer, and its active side: the person who offers or gives. Penalty: up to six years, disqualification and a fine.
Art. 432 CP

Misappropriation of public funds

Appropriation or diversion of public assets by the person who administers them: the central offence following the recent reforms. Penalty: two to six years, aggravated four to eight.
Arts. 428–430 CP

Influence peddling

Exerting influence over a public officer by taking advantage of a personal or hierarchical relationship to obtain a favourable decision. Penalty: six months to two years, and a fine.
Art. 404 CP

Administrative misfeasance

An arbitrary decision made in the knowledge of its injustice: the border with lawful discretion is the central battle. Penalty: disqualification of nine to fifteen years.
Art. 286 bis CP

Corruption in business

Bribery between private parties: payments to directors or employees to obtain advantages in private contracting. Penalty: six months to four years of imprisonment.
Art. 286 ter CP

International corruption

Bribery of foreign officials in international transactions: a growing focus of judicial cooperation. Penalty: imprisonment, a fine and prohibitions.
Arts. 436–438 CP

Fraud and unlawful levies

Collusion with interested parties to defraud the administration in public procurement. Penalty: one to three years, and disqualification.
Art. 439 CP

Prohibited negotiations

The participation of a public officer in business dealings in which they must intervene by reason of their office. Penalty: six months to two years, and disqualification.
Confiscation

Confiscation and recovery

Extended confiscation of the associated assets and recovery of what was misappropriated: both defence and asset-based prosecution. Scope: property, proceeds and gains.
Penalties at a glance

Penalty framework by offence

OffenceArticlePenalty frameworkKey aggravating factor
Passive bribery (act contrary to duty)4193 – 6 yearsDisqualification 9 – 12 years
Active bribery424That of the public officerMitigation for reporting (426)
Misappropriation of public funds4322 – 6 yearsAggravated: 4 – 8 + absolute disqualification
Influence peddling428–4306 months – 2 yearsBenefit obtained
Misfeasance404Disqualification 9 – 15 yearsNo term of imprisonment
Corruption in business286 bis6 months – 4 yearsAggravated by the scale of the deal
Fraud against the administration4361 – 3 yearsPublic procurement
Legal person31 bisFine · suspension · dissolutionAbsence of a compliance programme

Penalty ranges are indicative and set out the ordinary framework; the sentence actually imposed depends on the degree of completion, aggravating and mitigating circumstances and the specific facts of each case.

Our differentiator

Where corruption meets forensic analysis

The evidence in these cases is documentary, financial and technological: administrative files, procurement, intercepted communications and asset analysis. Mastering it demands method. For that reason we apply LIWARD, Legal Intelligence Warfare for Defense, our own methodology, which integrates legal intelligence, case-law analytics, financial and accounting analysis and e-forensics into a single procedural strategy. That is what distinguishes us from conventional criminal defence.

01

Legal intelligence

02

Financial and accounting analysis

03

Digital evidence · e-forensic

04

Procedural strategy

How we work

From the first contact to the appeal in cassation

Phase 01

Arrest and investigation

Phase 02

Forensic analysis

Phase 03

Strategy and evidence

Phase 04

Trial and appeals

Who we represent

Each profile demands a distinct defence

C

Companies

Contractor companies under investigation: defence of the entity, anti-corruption programmes and strategic self-reporting where appropriate.

D

Authorities and directors

Authorities, public officers and directors: technical and institutional defence, with management of media exposure.

I

Persons under investigation

Those investigated in large corruption cases: control of the investigation, of the separate strands and of the procedural timetable.

V

Victims · private prosecution

Public administrations and companies harmed: private prosecution and recovery of what was defrauded or misappropriated.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

When does a gift or an invitation become bribery?
When it exceeds social convention and is connected with the exercise of the office. Case law distinguishes courtesy from a gift by its magnitude, the context and the recipient’s power of decision over the giver’s affairs. Facilitation bribery (Article 421) does not require an unjust act: the risk is greater than is commonly believed.
I am a public officer and signed a decision that is now being questioned. Is that misfeasance?
Only if the decision is arbitrary, not merely unlawful, and made in the knowledge of its injustice. Error, a defensible interpretation or reliance on technical reports excludes intent. The reports preceding the act are the key element of the defence.
What changed in misappropriation of public funds with the latest reforms?
Article 432 now distinguishes appropriation, temporary use and diversion to other public purposes, with differentiated penalties. The precise classification of the conduct, and its amount, is decisive and technically arguable in most cases.
My company bids in public procurement. How do I reduce the criminal risk?
With a specific anti-corruption programme: gifts, hospitality, intermediaries and donations are the focal points. A compliance programme under Article 31 bis exempts the company; public-procurement protocols also protect its directors. We design and implement it.
Do you handle cases outside Alicante?
Yes. We operate from Madrid and Alicante and provide assistance anywhere in Spain, including urgent assistance to detainees and proceedings with an international dimension.
What is the LIWARD methodology?
It is our own methodology, Legal Intelligence Warfare for Defense, which integrates legal intelligence, case-law analytics, financial and accounting analysis and e-forensics into a single procedural strategy.

Speak to a criminal lawyer

In a fast-track case, the days you have are the case.

Criminal defence in English before the courts of Alicante and the rest of Spain, for residents and for visitors who have flown home.

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Alicante – Playa de San Juan Av. Ansaldo 31, local 16, 03540 Alicante
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info@societejuridique.com

Société de Conseil Juridique et Expert es un despacho de abogados con sedes en Madrid, Alicante, Londres y París, especializado en defensa y acusación penal, delitos económicos y corporativos y derecho tecnológico. Trabajamos con orientación estratégica en procedimientos penales complejos, propiedad intelectual y análisis forense avanzado, y prestamos consultoría jurídica, compliance y escudos de protección a particulares y empresas. Atendemos desde Alicante y Madrid, con consulta online en toda España y asistencia al detenido 24 horas. Resuelva sus dudas en las preguntas frecuentes o solicite una primera consulta.

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