A Spanish judge has ruled that Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, must stand trial on charges of embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of funds. The judge also ordered Gómez to surrender her passport, banned her from leaving Spain, and required her to report to court twice a month.
Gómez, 55, denies any wrongdoing. The case stems from a complaint by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a group with far-right links. Sánchez has dismissed the case as politically motivated, accusing opponents of pursuing his family and questioning judicial impartiality.
Government sources described the judge's actions as persecution, while the Socialist party said Gómez has been subjected to judicial and political persecution for two years. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado's ruling also sparked outrage from police unions after he suggested officers protecting Gómez might help her flee, a claim unions called outrageous and worrying.
The case is one of several corruption investigations affecting Sánchez's government, including probes into his brother David for influence peddling and former minister José Luis Ábalos for alleged kickbacks. Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is also under investigation for influence peddling, which he denies.
