Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife is the target of a corruption investigation

A Spanish court announced today that it has opened a preliminary investigation into the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for “exercise of influence” and “corruption” following a lawsuit filed by an anti-corruption group believed to be close to the far-right.

The investigation “against her Begonia Gometh for alleged exercise influence and corruption» began on April 16 following a lawsuit by the “Manos limpias” (Clean Hands) association, the Madrid court said in a brief statement.

According to the online news site El Confidencial that revealed the information, this preliminary investigation concerns Begonia Gomet’s relations with private companies who had received state aid during the Covid-19 crisis or signed contracts with the state while her husband was head of government.

Investigators are particularly interested in her ties to the Spanish travel group Globalia, which owns Air Europa, at a time when the latter was in talks with the government to secure aid following a major drop in air traffic caused by the health crisis.

During that time, Begonia Gomet directed the IE Africa Center, an institution linked to the business school of Madrid’s IE University, a position she left in 2022.

According to El Confidencial, the IE Africa Center had “signed a sponsorship agreement with Globalia in 2020” and Begonia Gomet had participated in “a private meeting with its CEO Javier Intaglco at a time when Globalia was negotiating its multi-million dollar rescue plan million euros with the government”.

This plan allowed her concession of 475 million euros on Air Europa in November 2020.

Asked today in Parliament about this case, Pedro Sanchez said he has confidence in justice. “A day like today, after the news I heard, however, I still believe in the justice of my country,” said the Socialist leader.

After the first press revelations about this case, the Spanish right multiplied the criticisms against the prime minister.