A probe into alleged corruption related to Sanchez's spouse endures.
A Madrid court proceeded with the ongoing corruption case involving the spouse of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday, overruling earlier decisions to end the investigation. Evidence suggesting potential criminal activity beyond mere suspicion now exists, the court stated in documents disclosed by news agency AFP.
The public prosecutor had previously advocated for the termination of the case in late April. The police shared a similar perspective, concluding that there wasn't enough proof of a crime. However, the court now opposes these evaluations. Spanish Justice Minister Félix Bolaños also pushed for the closure of the case again on Wednesday, commending the reports from the Spanish police as debunking all the baseless allegations. "The quicker the case is concluded, the better," said Bolaños.
The inquiry involves initial investigations stemming from a complaint by the anti-corruption organization Manos Limpias, which is associated with right-wing circles and has filed fruitless lawsuits against politicians in the past. Sánchez's wife, Begona Gomez, is accused of "influence peddling and corruption in the business world" by the court. Officials are scrutinizing Gomez's relationships with companies that received government funds during the pandemic. At the time, Gomez held the position as head of the IE Africa Center Foundation.
The foundation collaborated with tourism powerhouse Globalia in 2020. A close affiliate of Globalia, Globalia operates Air Europa, an airline that received 475 million euros from the government as part of its Coronavirus relief package in November 2020. Allegedly, Gomez met privately with Globalia CEO Javier Hidalgo as the government led by Sánchez's spouse contemplated financial support for the company. Following the release of preliminary investigations against his wife, Sánchez examined the possibility of resigning. After five days of pondering, he declared his decision to stay in office.
Political adversaries of the social democratic prime minister consider Sánchez's actions "political theatrics." The Spanish right has been intensely critical of Sánchez, particularly due to his minority government's reliance on the backing of the Catalan independence parties. The public is particularly vexed by a pardon law for Catalan independence advocates, which Spanish parliament greenlit on Wednesday.
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