Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, did not attend a scheduled court session on Saturday in which she was to be formally informed she must stand trial on alleged embezzlement charges.
Gómez – who retains the right to appeal the trial order – invoked a legal provision stating that attendance at such ‘notification’ hearings is not obligatory for the accused. Her lawyer, Antonio Camacho, appeared on her behalf.
‘At no point was it considered that my client had to be here. The proceeding was conducted in accordance with what is established by the law,’ Camacho said outside the court. ALSO READ: Begoña Gómez, wife of Spain’s PM, denies embezzlement in new court hearing.
The summons had been issued by the investigating judge to officially inform Gómez that his preliminary findings point to a jury trial being necessary.
The inquiry centres on accusations that Gómez used a publicly funded aide, assigned to her as the prime minister’s spouse, for tasks related to her role at Madrid’s Complutense University.
During a court appearance on 10 September before Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, Gómez denied any wrongdoing. ALSO READ: Begoña Gómez, wife of Spain’s PM, denies embezzlement in new court hearing.
Even so, the lengthy investigation has caused political discomfort for the left-leaning leader and strained his fragile coalition.
Gómez’s aide, Cristina Álvarez, along with the official who hired her – both also indicted – likewise skipped Saturday’s session, sending legal representatives in their place.
Prosecutors and defence lawyers alike have urged the case be dropped, arguing none of the accused are public officials.
Judge Peinado is expected to rule on the matter in the coming days. In a preliminary decision released on Wednesday, the judge noted evidence suggesting Álvarez had ‘clearly’ gone beyond her responsibilities as part of Sánchez’s staff. He added that Gómez’s ‘personal friendship’ with Álvarez had influenced her hiring.
Peinado is also probing allegations that Gómez leveraged her position as Sánchez’s wife for personal advantage, a claim pushed by groups linked to the far-right.
On Tuesday, a Provincial Court in Badajoz (Extremadura) also confirmed that there was ‘sufficient evidence’ to bring David Sánchez – the brother of Pedro Sánchez– to trial, in a separate case. ALSO READ: Trial for alleged influence peddling confirmed for brother of Pedro Sánchez.
The accusations against him are centred on alleged misconduct during his tenure as the region’s head of performing arts, including alleged irregularities in the creation of a governmental job for him.
David Sánchez has denied any wrongdoing. The Spanish prime minister has also publicly defended his brother’s innocence.
Speaking on Wednesday, PM Pedro Sánchez voiced confidence that ‘the truth will ultimately prevail’ and insisted both his wife and brother would be cleared. He has denounced what he calls ‘false accusations’ aimed at undermining his government.
Earlier this month the prime minister declared there were ‘judges who do politics and politicians who try to do justice’, condemning what he described as unfounded complaints from groups with far-right links. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez: ‘There are judges doing politics and politicians trying to do justice’.
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La defensa de Begoña Gómez y la Fiscalía piden el archivo de la causa por malversación tras no acudir al juzgado
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