Nine years' disqualification for President Sánchez's brother for abuse of office in Badajoz
The Provincial Court of Badajoz has sentenced David Sánchez, brother of Spain's chief executive, to nine years' disqualification for administrative abuse of office along with nine other defendants.
Nine years' disqualification for President Sánchez's brother for abuse of office in Badajoz
The Provincial Court of Badajoz has imposed a sentence of nine years' disqualification from the exercise of public office on David Sánchez, brother of Spain's Government President, Pedro Sánchez. The sentence relates to the crime of administrative abuse of office. Nine other defendants have received identical sentences, while Miguel Ángel Gallardo, former head of the Badajoz Provincial Council and former regional leader of the Socialist Party, has been sanctioned with eighteen months' loss of office.
The facts tried date back to 2017, when David Sánchez, a musician and orchestra conductor by profession, was appointed head of the entertainment office of the provincial administration. According to the ruling, the convicted parties irregularly created a position that was "pointless and devoid of substance", which responded to no urgency or necessity and was designed to be occupied by the Socialist Party leader's relative. The criteria for assessing candidates were drawn up after curricula vitae had been submitted, and the job title was altered to match the profile of the chief executive's brother.
The irregularities were reported by the conservative organisation Hands Clean and by the political party Vox. The Public Prosecutor's Office had initially requested dismissal of the case, and during oral proceedings requested the acquittal of all defendants. The judge noted that the existence of pressure on the defendants to create the position had not been established, which is why the charge of abuse of influence was dismissed. The private prosecutions, brought by the People's Party and Vox, had sought sentences of up to six years' imprisonment.
The ruling, which extends to 377 pages, asserts that those sanctioned had full knowledge of the "premeditated" plan. During the course of the proceedings, dozens of witnesses contradicted much of the report drawn up by the Civil Guard's Central Operations Unit.
The sentence has triggered intense political debate. The Transport Secretary, Óscar Puente, of the Socialist Party, has stated that the sole purpose of the verdict is to "overthrow an Executive in the face of the impossibility of achieving it through voting". Left-wing allies from Sumar have described the ruling as disproportionate. From the right, the People's Party spokeswoman has called the day "historic" and noted that in any other democratic nation such a verdict would lead to the Government's fall.
The disqualification measure would entail the immediate loss of office for all those convicted, although the sentence is not yet final and is subject to appeal.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca