Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has initiated legal proceedings against a judge who requested his presence for testimony in an investigation concerning his wife's alleged involvement in influence-peddling. Sanchez accuses the judge of contravening legal statutes. The legal action brought by Spain's state legal services contends that the judge and other parties may have engaged in 'criminal acts' by denying Sanchez's request to provide written testimony, as stipulated in the complaint. The filing emphasizes that this action is not an assault on the judiciary but rather a demonstration of faith in its ability to rectify an instance of judicial overreach, which in this case involves one of the over 5,000 judges operating within Spain.
Sanchez chose not to respond to inquiries from Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is leading the preliminary investigation into his wife Begona Gomez's business associations, at the prime minister's official residence. According to Spanish law, individuals have the right to decline answering questions in matters that pertain to immediate family, including spouses. Sanchez sought to testify in writing, a provision allowed for high-ranking government officials under Spanish law, but Peinado denied this request, insisting on questioning him in his capacity as Gomez's spouse. The lawsuit argues that it is inappropriate to bifurcate a person's roles and question them solely as a spouse when the investigation's focus is predicated on the fact that the spouse of the investigated individual holds the position of head of government.
Gomez, who has been involved in fundraising activities for an extended period, is under scrutiny for alleged influence-peddling and corruption, following a complaint from the anti-corruption NGO Manos Limpias, which has connections to the far right. It is claimed that she leveraged her husband's position to gain advantages in her professional dealings, particularly with businessman Juan Carlos Barrabes, who was seeking public funding. Gomez has not addressed the allegations publicly, but Sanchez has refuted any misconduct on her part and has characterized the accusations as a right-wing smear tactic aimed at his left-wing administration.
