Testifying In Court, Spanish PM's Wife Denies Corruption Allegations

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez/PHOTO via Instagram @sachezcastejon

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, has denied allegations of corruption and sold influence related to her business in her first testimony in court since the investigation began in April.

The investigation led to the opposition demanding Sanchez's resignation and increasing political polarization in Spain, where he leads the left-wing minority government.

In a closed trial, Gomez only answered questions raised by his lawyer Antonio Camacho, a former interior minister.

On the previous occasion in July, Gomez appeared before investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado but refused to testify, as did her husband.

Proses persidangan ini merupakan bagian dari penyelidikan apakah Gomez menggunakan posisinya sebagai istri prime minister untuk mendapatkan sponsor bagi program gelar master di universitas yang ia laksanakan, tanpa melalui proses penawaran publik. Dia belum ditakwakukan melakukan kejahatan apa pun.

"My client has testified, as he wanted from the start, because he is not hiding anything. If he does not testify before, it is due to a lack of definition of what is being investigated," Camacho told reporters after the hearing.

He said Gomez explained that she never knew about this public offering process.

"He never intervened at all or knew when the process was given," he continued.

Camacho also said any meeting that could be held by the wife of the Spanish PM to discuss the university program at the prime minister's official residence was due to restrictions on mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore Gomez, according to her lawyer, had to meet people at her home.

The case was processed through a personal complaint by Manos Limpias, or Clean Hands, an anti-corruption activist group led by Miguel Bernad, a lawyer and politician running for a candidate for the far-right party in the European elections.