Judge imposes precautionary measures on Begoña Gómez in corruption case
The wife of Spanish government president Pedro Sánchez must surrender her passport and appear before the authorities twice a month for the duration of the judicial proceedings.
Judge imposes precautionary measures on Begoña Gómez in corruption case
Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado has ordered Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish government president Pedro Sánchez, to surrender her passport and is obliging her to present herself fortnightly before the authorities. The ruling, made public on Friday, also includes instructions to all border crossing points and civil and military airports to ensure compliance with the prohibition on leaving national territory.
Furthermore, the court has determined that the woman under investigation must stand trial before a popular jury. The measure comes after two years of investigation into alleged crimes of embezzlement, trafficking in influence, corruption and misappropriation of funds. The public prosecution presented formal charges in April against the 55-year-old woman.
According to the inquiries, a university chair was allegedly created specifically for Gómez at the Complutense University of Madrid, intended exclusively for her "private professional development". Both the woman under investigation and the head of government categorically deny the charges against them.
The case is part of a series of corruption scandals that have touched the circle of the Socialist prime minister and his party, the PSOE. At the end of May, the trial began against David Sánchez, the president's brother, also accused of having benefited from a position created expressly for him.
In parallel, former government president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2004–2011) is being investigated for alleged unlawful influence and bribery. He is accused of having acted as an intermediary during the coronavirus pandemic to obtain public aid for an airline in exchange for bribes.
Source: ORF
Source: ORF