Spanish PM Summoned By Court To Witness Case Of Alleged Wife Corruption

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez/PHOTO via Instagram @sachezcastejon

JAKARTA - The Spanish court on Monday summoned Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to testify as a witness in an investigation into alleged corruption and allegations of selling influence on his wife.

Sanchez, who runs a Socialist-led minority government, will be interviewed by investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado at his official residence, Moncloa Palace, on July 30, the court said.

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Peinado said Sanchez's testimony would be comfortable, useful and relevant for the investigation to determine whether there was any influence circulating.

Under Spanish law, close relatives including a partner can refuse to answer questions, lawyer Luis Romero told Reuters on Monday, July 22.

Gomez was present before the judge on Friday but declined to answer questions as instructed by his lawyer, who said the case was "baseless".

He has not publicly commented on the case, but Sanchez has denied the allegations against him, and said the allegations were baseless and regulated by far-right political enemies.

"It is clear that this case has always been a fabricated case, a far-right and right-wing draft that opposes the prime minister," Socialist parliamentary spokesman Patxi Lopez told reporters.

This is the first time a Spanish prime minister has been summoned to testify in a judicial case since Mariano Rajoy was summoned as a witness in 2017 in a corruption case that led to sentences against some conservative People's Party members and eventually the death penalty. The motion of not believing in the 2018 Rajoy.