Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish president, to face corruption trial with travel restrictions
The court has decided that Pedro Sánchez's wife will be tried by jury on alleged corruption offences, having her passport confiscated and being required to present herself fortnightly before the court.
Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish president, to face corruption trial with travel restrictions
The partner of Spain's head of government must surrender her international identity document and attend judicial facilities periodically while the criminal proceedings against her are ongoing. This has been established by judge Juan Carlos Peinado in a ruling made public this Saturday, in which he agrees to the opening of an oral trial by popular jury against Begoña Gómez for alleged crimes related to corruption.
In April, the same judge had already issued a charge against her for four criminal offences: misappropriation of public funds, abuse of influence, business corruption and embezzlement. Now, in addition to the summons for the procedure, she has been imposed measures that prevent her from leaving national territory. The order indicates that notification will be made to all border controls and airports in the country, both civil and military, to enforce this prohibition.
Cristina Álvarez, a collaborator at the government complex of the Moncloa, is also subject to these limitations. This is not the case with Juan Carlos Barrabés, a businessman who figures as the third investigated party in the case, who is not subject to mobility restrictions.
People close to Gómez have expressed their intention to challenge these precautionary measures, especially the confiscation of her passport. The judicial decision comes after a preparatory session held during the present week, where the accusatory parties demanded jury trial and the adoption of safeguards to prevent possible flight from the territory.
By contrast, both the Public Prosecutor's Office and the defence lawyers requested the closure of the proceedings, arguing that the existing evidence is not sufficient to support a conviction.
The core of the investigation focuses on a university chair created and managed at the Complutense University of Madrid, of which Gómez was co-director, and on whether public funds and contacts were used to benefit private interests. The inquiry began in April 2024 to determine whether the investigated party had used her position as consort of the head of government to obtain personal gain, an allegation that both she and Sánchez reject.
In the charge order, the judge stated that the chair functioned as an instrument of private professional advancement for the investigated party. The case has generated considerable political and procedural debate. The accusations maintain that the evidence justifies taking the case to trial, whilst the Public Prosecutor's Office and Gómez's lawyers have repeatedly questioned the validity of the investigation and have denounced alleged irregularities in its processing.
The complaint that originated the proceedings was filed by an anti-corruption organisation with links to the far-right. Sánchez himself has characterised the charges against his wife as a right-wing manoeuvre to destabilise his administration. This matter adds to other corruption scandals that have affected the Socialist leader and former allies, putting pressure on his coalition government without a parliamentary majority. Despite opposition demands for him to resign and call early elections, Sánchez has ruled out this possibility.
Information from Euronews
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)