Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Wednesday that he has initiated legal proceedings against a judge who summoned him to give evidence in an investigation into alleged corruption involving his wife. Sanchez stated that this action was necessary to uphold the 'dignity' of his position. The socialist leader exercised his legal right to decline to testify against his wife, Begona Gomez, during his questioning by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado on Tuesday. Following the session, Spain's state legal services filed a lawsuit on Sanchez's behalf, accusing the judge of abusing his office. The lawsuit noted that the prime minister's request to provide testimony in writing, a right granted to high-ranking government officials under Spanish law, was unreasonably denied.
'The dignity of the prime minister's office is being defended,' Sanchez declared at a press conference, explaining the rationale behind the lawsuit. He further asserted that the 'rights' of his office had been 'violated, nothing more and nothing less, by the judge.'
Gomez is under investigation for purported influence-peddling and corruption, following a complaint from the anti-corruption NGO Manos Limpias, which has ties to the far right. It is alleged that she leveraged her husband's position to sway contracts or establish a master's program at a university in Madrid where she is employed. During her recent questioning, Gomez also chose to remain silent, invoking her right to do so. Although she has not addressed the allegations publicly, Sanchez has consistently refuted any misconduct by his wife and has characterized the accusations as a smear campaign orchestrated by the right wing.
