Pedro Sanchez, Spain's prime minister, left, and his wife Begona Gomez, arrive at the Carlos V palace at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. EU leaders are meeting in Granada, Spain, this week to contemplate another wave of expansion with a new pro-Russian government set to take power in Slovakia and the US struggling to approve more aid to Kyiv. Photographer: Paul Hanna/Bloomberg
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declined to testify on Tuesday in a judicial investigation regarding alleged corruption and influence peddling involving his wife, Begona Gomez. This case, which has caused significant political turmoil, had previously led Sanchez to contemplate resigning in April, according to lawyers present at the hearing.
The investigation centers on whether Gomez used her position as the Prime Minister’s wife to secure sponsors for a university master’s degree course she managed. Sanchez has consistently denied the allegations, dismissing them as baseless and politically motivated attacks orchestrated by right-wing opponents. On Tuesday, the state attorney’s office filed a lawsuit on Sanchez’s behalf against the investigating judge, alleging malfeasance.
“This lawsuit is intended to respect the independence of the judiciary, but also to defend it from the practices of those who operate for political motives and outside the law,” stated government spokesperson Pilar Alegria.
Gomez has not publicly commented on the case. Her lawyer, former Interior Minister Antonio Camacho, reported that Sanchez’s testimony lasted just two minutes, during which Judge Juan Carlos Peinado asked whether Sanchez was related to any of the individuals under investigation and if he wished to testify. Sanchez confirmed that Gomez is his wife and opted not to testify. Under Spanish law, close relatives, including spouses, are allowed to refuse to answer questions when summoned by a judge.
The brief interview took place at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, where Sanchez resides. Outside the palace, a small group of protesters gathered, shouting slogans against Sanchez and his Socialist Party. The proceedings included representatives of the prosecutor, Gomez’s counsel, and a lawyer for the far-right party VOX, which utilizes a legal instrument known as “the people’s accusation” to bring criminal complaints against third parties.
In April, Sanchez took a five-day hiatus to consider resigning after the court opened the investigation. Ultimately, he chose to remain in office. This incident marks the first time a sitting Spanish Prime Minister has been called to testify in a judicial case since Sanchez’s predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, was summoned as a witness in a graft case in 2017. That case resulted in the conviction of several members of Rajoy’s conservative People’s Party and led to a 2018 vote of no confidence, paving the way for Sanchez to assume the role of Prime Minister.
Melissa Enoch
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