Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been ordered to stand trial following an investigation that lasted over two years. The central charge in the case is influence peddling, linked to her professional and academic engagements and her relationships with certain entrepreneurs.
Cristina Álvarez, her assistant at the Moncloa Palace, will also face trial, implicated in the case for alleged embezzlement.
The decision was made by investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who rejected the defense's requests on behalf of the prime minister's wife. According to Spanish media, including El País, the defense had challenged the legitimacy of the popular accusation filed by the HazteOir association and sought to have the case dismissed, citing significant flaws in the prosecution's case.
In the Spanish legal system, a popular accusation allows parties not directly harmed to participate in a criminal case. HazteOir has called for sentences of up to 13 years for Gómez and six years for Álvarez. These are prosecution requests, not actual sentences.
The investigation began in 2024 following a complaint from the organization Manos Limpias, which alleged that Gómez used her position as the prime minister's wife to advance private interests. The defense has contested these allegations.
Initially, investigators considered four different criminal hypotheses. According to the provided text, last July, the Provincial Court excluded charges of business corruption and misappropriation, leaving the focus on influence peddling and embezzlement.
A significant part of the investigation involves Gómez's activities at the Complutense University of Madrid, where she co-directed a special chair. Judge Peinado's findings suggest her position may have played a role in securing the appointment. The defense has disputed this interpretation.
Another aspect concerns her professional ties with entrepreneur Juan Carlos Barrabés. Gómez had signed letters of support for companies linked to him, which later secured public contracts. The judge considers these relationships as key elements in the influence peddling charge.
The legal proceedings have significantly impacted Spanish political discourse over the past two years, partly due to Gómez's husband's institutional role. The trial now marks a new phase in the case, where the court will determine the validity of the prosecution's claims.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved