Summoned for investigation, the wife of the Spanish Prime Minister
A court in Madrid, the capital of Spain, summoned the country’s prime minister’s wife, Begonia Gomez, on the 4th and asked her to come to court on July 5 as a “subject of investigation” on charges of “corruption in the private sector and the use of influence to accept bribes.” Make a statement at the preliminary investigation stage.
Gomez was sued by the Spanish anti-corruption NGO Clean Hands, and the above-mentioned court intervened in the investigation on April 16. According to Agence France-Presse, "Incorrupt Hands" is associated with Spanish far-right forces.
Nearly a week ago, the court rejected the prosecutor's request to dismiss the case, saying there was "sufficient" evidence to move forward with the investigation. The court said at the time that it was investigating the successful bid for public contracts by a joint venture suspected to be linked to Gomez.
Reuters reported that "Clean Hands" also accused Gomez of using the influence of the prime minister's wife to "solicit sponsorship" for his university master's courses.
Gomez does not hold public office. After her husband, Pedro Sánchez, became Spanish Prime Minister in 2018, she continued to work and has been engaged in fundraising activities in fields such as non-governmental organizations.
After being accused of corruption, Gomez has not responded publicly so far. Sanchez issued an open letter on the 4th, saying that the couple was "absolutely relaxed" and that Gomez was "hard-working and honest". The accusations had no evidence and were "just a crude frame-up by the far-right forces."
Sánchez considered the court's decision to summon Gomez days before European Parliament elections "bizarre" and that the right-wing opposition parties are using all means to attack him.
According to foreign media reports, Miguel Benard, the director of the "Clean Hands" organization, is both a lawyer and a political activist. He will represent a far-right party in the European Parliament elections to be held on the 6th.
Sánchez was re-elected as prime minister in November last year. The coalition government he led was composed of his Socialist Workers Party and another left-wing party, the Souma Party. "Integrity Hands" has said that the organization's accusations against Gomez are based on media reports and cannot guarantee their authenticity. The organization has launched numerous lawsuits against politicians but has failed to win.
Gomez's corruption case also involves Spain and Argentina's diplomatic dispute. Argentine President Javier Milley verbally attacked the Sanchez couple several times in May. On the 19th of that month, Milley called Gomez "corrupt" at a rally organized by the Spanish far-right party "Voice" in Madrid and refused to apologize. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alvarez announced on the 21st that he would recall his country’s ambassador to Argentina indefinitely to protest against the inappropriate remarks made by Milais against the Spanish Prime Minister and his wife during his visit to Spain.
