A court in Madrid has ordered the wife of Spain's prime minister to surrender her passport and attend court hearings
Kyiv • UNN
The court ordered Begoña Gómez to surrender her passport and appear in court twice a month on corruption charges. The Spanish government called the decision unfair.
A court in Madrid has ordered the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, to stand trial on charges of influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and embezzlement of public funds. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
According to the ruling of Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, Gómez must surrender her passport, is not allowed to leave Spanish territory, and is required to appear in court twice a month.
The ruling states that there are indications of a possible risk of the suspect fleeing if found guilty, as the alleged crimes could carry a real prison sentence.
The Spanish government has criticized the court's decision
The decision provoked a sharp reaction from government representatives. Spain's Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, called it unfair.
Today is a catastrophic day for all of us who believe in justice. Who will compensate for the damages?
The Begoña Gómez case is one of several high-profile anti-corruption cases involving the close circle of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The opposition considers them evidence of systemic problems in the government, while the government insists on the political motivation of the investigations.