Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declined to testify on Tuesday as a witness in a judicial investigation into alleged corruption and influence peddling against his wife, a move that had him contemplating resignation in April, according to lawyers present at the hearing.
Sanchez's wife's lawyer, former Interior Minister Antonio Camacho, stated that Sanchez's testimony lasted only two minutes. Under Spanish law, close relatives, including spouses, have the right to refuse to answer questions when summoned by a judge. Camacho revealed that the investigating judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, asked Sanchez two questions: whether he was related to any of the people under investigation and if he wished to testify. Sanchez confirmed that Begona Gomez was his wife and that he chose not to testify.
Government officials were not immediately available for comment. The investigation is examining whether Gomez utilized her role as the prime minister's wife to secure sponsors for a university master's degree course she managed. Sanchez has vehemently denied the allegations against her, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated by right-wing adversaries.
Peinado interviewed Sanchez at the Moncloa palace government headquarters in Madrid, where Sanchez resides officially. He was accompanied by Gomez's counsel, representatives of the prosecutor, and a lawyer from the far-right party VOX, which employs a legal mechanism known as 'the people's accusation' that allows private individuals to file criminal complaints against others.
A small group of protesters gathered outside La Moncloa, voicing their opposition to Sanchez and his Socialist Party. This marks the first instance of a sitting Spanish prime minister being called to testify in a judicial case since his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, was summoned in 2017 in a corruption case that resulted in the conviction of several members of his conservative People's Party and ultimately led to a 2018 vote of no confidence that paved the way for Sanchez to assume the premiership.
