Corruption allegations in Spain: Pedro Sanchez's wife under investigation

A corruption allegation that has caused a significant tremor in Spanish political life has placed Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, at the center of attention. Following a two-year investigation, the relevant court announced that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a trial against Gómez.

WHAT ARE THE ACCUSATIONS?

According to reports from BBC Turkish, the accusations against Gómez include serious allegations such as using her influence to advance her personal career at the Complutense University of Madrid, allocating public funds for personal goals, commercial corruption, and misappropriation of funds. The court will evaluate these charges and rule in the coming days on whether the judicial process will begin.

THE ORIGIN OF THE INVESTIGATION

Gómez's name came to the fore with a criminal investigation launched in recent years. The investigation was sparked by a complaint filed by a civil society group called Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which is linked to the far-right. It is known that the group's leader, Miguel Bernad, has previously targeted other politicians with similar accusations, but most of these applications have not yielded results so far.

“INFLUENCE PEDDLING” ALLEGATION

Gómez has been the target of criticism, particularly over allegations that she used her status as the prime minister's wife as an advantage when she was appointed to manage a high-level business program at a prestigious university in Madrid. The judge conducting the investigation suggested that she did not meet the criteria required to take on this role.

SANCHEZ: “POLITICAL OPERATION”

While all these debates continue, Begoña Gómez categorically denies the allegations against her. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez argues that the process is an "effort by the right wing to shake the coalition government and weaken him through his wife." At the beginning of the investigation, Sanchez had announced that he was taking a five-day break from his duties "against the far-right's efforts to muddy the waters of politics."

DEVELOPMENT DURING CHINA VISIT

It was reported that Gómez and Pedro Sanchez were in China as part of an official visit while the current investigation was ongoing.

OTHER ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT

On the other hand, the Spanish government has recently faced other corruption allegations. A separate investigation is being conducted into Prime Minister Sanchez's brother, David Sánchez, over allegations that he was appointed to a position in a local administration by using his own position. Additionally, former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos is accused of corruption in the sale of protective equipment to the public during the pandemic and is being tried in this context.

Sanchez has been serving as the country's prime minister as the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party since 2018.

News Source: 12punto