Madrid judge adjourns Pedro Sanchez’s wife’s testimony until July 19

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado of the Instructional Court No. 41 in Madrid suspended the hearing of the case of Begoña Gómez, wife of the Spanish Prime Minister, this Friday and scheduled a new hearing for July 19 next year.

According to the Spanish news agency EFE, Begoña Gómez entered the court this Friday at 10:18 (9:18 in Lisbon) and told the judge that she was not aware of the case brought by the Spanish ultra-Catholic association Hazte Oir (Faz-te Uvir), adding that she was not aware of the accusation.

Shortly after Begoña Gomez’s statement, the court suspended the hearing, summoning the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to appear on July 19 to give evidence as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption and influence peddling.

According to the French agency France Presse, Begoña Gomez’s lawyer said on Friday that one of the complaints in the case was not notified in time and therefore was not submitted.

Earlier this week, Pedro Sánchez confirmed “absolute calm and confidence” in statements to Spanish radio Cadena SER, adding that “there is nothing in this case.”

Sanchez once again criticized what he saw as the “judicial strategy of persecution and destruction” of the Spanish executive power.

Along with the amnesty law for Catalan independence activists, the case has been the target of attacks for weeks by the right-wing opposition, which has repeatedly called for the resignation of the Spanish prime minister.

“All Spaniards are waiting for Pedro Sánchez to explain himself and say why he did nothing, even though he knew what was happening,” PP spokesman Borja Semper told Spanish television station Telecinco, accusing the wife of CEO Begoña Gómez of a “very serious ethical error.”

On the contrary, the official representative of the Madrid government, Education Minister Pilar Alegria, limited herself to repeating this Friday that there is “nothing, absolutely nothing” in this case, expressing “total calm” and referring to the “completely false complaint filed by two extremist and occult organizations.”

A preliminary investigation began in April based on complaints from the Manos limpias (Clean Hands) association, a group linked to the far right that also initiated another complaint against Sanchez’s brother, and the Hazte Oir association.

The news had a political impact, and Sanchez suspended his activities for five days, saying he was considering resigning before remaining in his post.

In early June, just days before the European elections, the announcement by the Madrid Supreme Court (TSJ) that Begoña Gómez had been summoned to court added further significance to the case and renewed calls from the right for Sánchez to be fired.

The researchers focus in particular on Begoña Gómez’s professional relationship with Juan Carlos Barrabes, a businessman whose companies negotiated state aid or participated in government tenders.

Begoña Gomez’s activities are allegedly limited to the period since Pedro Sánchez took over as head of the Spanish government and to the facts set out in the “initial complaint” of the Manos limpias organization, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado said last Tuesday.

According to France-Presse, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, an independent body of the European Union, has also taken on part of the investigation into the use of European funds.

Begoña Gómez holds a degree in Marketing from the private University of Esic in Madrid and a Master’s degree in Management, specializing in fundraising, especially for foundations and NGOs.

Professionally, he has held several positions, including at the business consulting company Inmark Europa and at the Faculty of the Complutense University of Madrid.

The weekly Expresso reported this week that “Spanish authorities are investigating the assets and tax residency of David Sanchez, the brother of the Spanish Prime Minister, in Elvas, Portugal,” in parallel with the Aldama business network suspected of embezzlement and money laundering in Portugal in the “Koldo” corruption case.