Spanish court bans prime minister's wife from leaving country on corruption charges
A Spanish court ordered the prosecution of Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, on corruption charges and banned her from leaving the country.
Spanish court bans prime minister's wife from leaving country on corruption charges
A Spanish court ordered the prosecution of Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, on corruption charges and banned her from leaving the country. The ruling, made public on Saturday, establishes that judge Juan Carlos Peinado requires the surrender of Gómez's passport and her appearance before authorities twice a month until the conclusion of the case.
By court order, all border crossings and civil and military airports must prevent Gómez from leaving Spain. The date of the trial has not yet been set.
Peinado filed formal charges against Gómez in April. She is accused of misappropriation, abuse of influence, corruption and embezzlement of public funds. The investigation began in April 2024 to determine whether Gómez exploited her position as the head of government's spouse to obtain personal benefits. Both Gómez and Sánchez have repeatedly denied these allegations.
The case centres on a chair at the Complutense University of Madrid co-directed by Gómez. Investigators suspect that public resources and personal contacts were used to promote private interests. According to the judge, the chair served as an instrument for the professional development of the person under investigation.
The complaint was filed by an anti-corruption group linked to the far right. When the investigation opened in April 2024, Sánchez temporarily suspended his public duties for several days to decide whether to continue in office. Gómez has categorically denied any legal wrongdoing. Sánchez has characterised the charges as an attempt by the right to destabilise his government.
The accusations are part of a broader wave of corruption cases affecting Sánchez's family and former allies, putting his minority coalition at risk. Last month a formal investigation was opened against former Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged abuse of influence related to the rescue of the small airline Plus Ultra in 2021. Zapatero has denied the charges, whilst Sánchez has expressed his full support for his mentor.
In the coming weeks, rulings are expected also in separate corruption proceedings against Sánchez's former right-hand man, José Luis Ábalos, and his brother David Sánchez. The conservative and far-right opposition has demanded Sánchez's resignation and early elections, but the prime minister says he will serve his mandate until 2027.
Source: ERR