Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has ordered the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, to stand trial by jury and prohibited her from leaving the country, reported the EFE news agency.
“Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has sent the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, to trial and, as a preventive measure, ordered the seizure of her passport, banned her from leaving the country, and required her to appear in court twice a month,” the agency writes.
According to the report, this decision was made following a preliminary hearing held on Monday. Peinado ruled that Gómez’s case should be submitted to a jury trial on charges of influence peddling, corruption in the private sector, illegal appropriation of funds, and misappropriation of public resources.
Alongside the prime minister’s spouse, her advisor Cristina Álvarez, who faces the same charges, as well as businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés, accused of influence peddling and corruption in the private sector, have also been sent to trial.
The investigation into the prime minister’s wife began in the spring of 2024 following a complaint filed by the organization “Clean Hands” (Manos Limpias), which accused Gómez of corruption in business dealings and leveraging connections to secure government contracts. Subsequently, new episodes were added to the investigation, related to the operation of a university department in Madrid and the hiring of advisor Cristina Álvarez.
During the investigation, Gómez testified in court multiple times as a person under investigation. She denies all charges and considers the case to be politically motivated.
About the Author
