Brother of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez tried for alleged illegal public-sector hiring
A trial has begun in Badajoz against David Sánchez, brother of Spanish government president, accused of illegally obtaining a public-sector position.
Brother of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez tried for alleged illegal public-sector hiring
In the city of Badajoz, in western Spain, a trial began on Monday against David Sánchez, brother of Spanish government president Pedro Sánchez. He is accused of having been illegally hired for a position in the public administration, according to Spanish television RTVE.
Pedro Sánchez was secretary general of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from 2014 until October 2016. Shortly after he left that post, in Badajoz—where the PSOE governed—a position was created for Co-ordinator of Provincial Conservatory Activities, that is, professional music schools. Ten candidates were rejected for that job, RTVE reported. Musician David Sánchez, who was unemployed at the time, signed the contract two months after Pedro Sánchez recovered control of the party in May 2017.
Right-wing organisations such as Manos Limpias, Hazte Oír, Iustitia Europa, the Liberum Association and the Christian Lawyers' Foundation, together with opposition parties Vox and the Popular Party (PP), accused David Sánchez of obtaining the job thanks to his brother. According to them, the position was created specifically to employ him there.
These organisations initiated legal proceedings, and the local court admitted the accusation. The trial will run from today until 4 June.
Among those accused are several civil servants and PSOE members who then held executive positions in Badajoz.
David Sánchez's defence has stated that everything comes down to "suppositions and hypotheses" and that no crime was committed.
Pedro Sánchez, who faces parliamentary elections in Spain next year, has been under pressure in recent months due to several cases involving members of his family and his party.
His wife, Begoña Gómez, has been accused of favouring certain companies and businesspeople as co-director of a master's degree programme at Madrid University. She has stated she is innocent.
On Wednesday, police searched the PSOE headquarters in Madrid looking for payments and documents on suspicion that a former party secretary and a former member created an illegal financial scheme to bribe investigators, police and judicial officials. Police are also investigating that former member and several other people on suspicion of having created a company through which they collected illegal commissions from companies that received money and contracts from the state-owned holding SEPI.
President Pedro Sánchez stated on Wednesday that his party is cooperating with investigators and requested presumption of innocence. He rejected calls from the right to call early elections.
Sánchez has been in power since the summer of 2018, when parliament approved a vote of no confidence against then-president conservative Mariano Rajoy, whose Popular Party had been convicted of corruption.
Source: 24sata