Begoña Gomez, the wife of Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has been sent to trial on charges of corruption. She has been banned from leaving the country, a judge decided on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Gomez is suspected of using her position as the prime minister’s wife to secure job contracts. She denies any wrongdoing. The case was initiated by far-right groups opposed to Sanchez’s party.
Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered Gomez to surrender her passport, banned her from leaving Spain, and required her to appear in court twice a month.
The case is one of the many corruption investigations nearing trial or already in the judicial phase that affect Sanchez, one of the few remaining left-wing leaders in Europe. His name has not been mentioned in any of these cases, and he has stated that they are part of a campaign aimed at removing him from office.
Newspaper El País quoted sources close to Gomez, who stated that she will appeal against the conditions imposed by the judge, including the passport withdrawal.
The Socialist Party posted on the X messaging platform: "(Begoña) has been subjected to two years of judicial and political persecution. Today's development represents another step in this process."
Several close allies, including the number three of the Socialist Party and the former Minister of Transport in Sanchez's government, are under investigation in cases related to alleged illegal commissions linked to public works, contracts in the oil and natural gas sector, as well as the purchase of masks during the pandemic. They deny any wrongdoing.
On the other hand, Spain's Supreme Court has stated that it is investigating former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero regarding allegations that he led a network that profited from lobbying activities with public authorities on behalf of third parties, including the airline company Plus Ultra. He denies the accusations.