Spanish public prosecutor seeks to shelve case against PM's wife Begoña Gómez
Prosecutor appeals judge’s decision to send PM Pedro Sánchez’s spouse to trial, citing a total lack of criminal evidence
The legal battle surrounding Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has reached a critical turning point as the Public Prosecutor’s Office formally moved to have the case dismissed.
The Madrid Provincial Prosecutor filed two appeals on Wednesday against the recent ruling by investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado. On 11 April, the judge had proposed sending Gómez to a jury trial on a litany of charges, including influence peddling, business corruption, embezzlement, and misappropriation of funds.
Far-right accusations seek 24-year sentence
The popular prosecution (private accusers), led by the ultra-conservative group Hazte Oír, submitted their conclusions on Monday. They are seeking a combined sentence of 24 years in prison for Begoña Gómez, broken down as follows:
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8 years for embezzlement
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6 years for misappropriation
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6 years for influence peddling
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4 years for business corruption
The private accusers have also requested that Gómez’s passport be confiscated and that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez be called to testify as a witness during the oral hearing.
However, the Prosecution now argues that the evidence is non-existent, asserting that the conduct of Gómez and her associates does not constitute any "criminal offence."
This move by the Prosecution aligns the state’s legal position with Gómez’s own defence team, which earlier this week filed a grievance with the Provincial Court of Madrid.
Her lawyers have branded the proceedings a "violation of fundamental rights" and hit out at Judge Peinado for what they describe as "unacceptable" personal prejudice, specifically citing his historical comparisons of the case to the autocratic reign of King Ferdinand VII.
The defence has been categorical in its rebuttal of the specific allegations. They argue that meetings held at the Moncloa Palace with the Rector of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) - where Gómez helped establish a Master’s programme - were a matter of logistical necessity during pandemic restrictions, rather than an attempt to exert pressure. Furthermore, they contend that "business corruption" laws cannot be applied to a public university, and that the software she is accused of "misappropriating" was never even finished.
While the Prosecution seeks to shelve the case, the private accusers - led by the ultra-conservative association Hazte Oír - are pushing for the maximum possible penalties. On Monday, they submitted a request for a 24-year prison sentence, claiming that Gómez exploited her "institutional projection" following her husband's appointment. Their aggressive legal strategy includes a demand for the confiscation of her passport and a formal summons for Pedro Sánchez himself to testify as a witness.
With the Prosecution and the private accusers now at total loggerheads, the final decision on whether the Prime Minister's wife will face a jury or see the case dismissed now rests with the Provincial Court of Madrid.
