The wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Begona Gomez, has been formally charged with corruption following a two-year investigation, a court ruling revealed on Monday.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado accused Gomez of embezzlement, influence-peddling, corruption, and misappropriation in a decision dated 11 April.
The case is part of a broader corruption investigation targeting the Socialist Party leader’s family and former political allies, increasing pressure on his minority coalition government.
The probe, initiated by Judge Peinado in April 2024, aims to determine whether Gomez leveraged her position as the Prime Minister’s spouse to gain personal benefits, allegations both she and her husband deny.
At the centre of the case is the establishment of a chair at Complutense University in Madrid, co-directed by Gomez, and the alleged misuse of public resources and connections for private interests.
The judge said the inquiry had uncovered sufficient evidence supporting the charges against Gomez, according to the published ruling.
“The chair served as a vehicle for private career advancement for the individual under investigation,” Peinado noted in the decision.
Begona Gomez, 55, who is currently accompanying her husband on an official visit to China, has consistently rejected the allegations.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez dismissed the accusations against his wife as a politically motivated attempt by the Spanish right to destabilise his government.
Opposition parties have called for his resignation over the scandal.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by an anti-corruption group with alleged ties to the far-right.
Meanwhile Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, has been implicated in a separate influence-peddling case involving his employment in a regional administration.
