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Spanish PM's wife loses case against judge investigating her

Begona Gomez filed the lawsuit in August saying the judge had 'adopted arbitrary and manifestly unfair judicial decisions' in an 'unusual and erratic' investigation

Published: Wed 23 Oct 2024, 6:24 PM

Updated: Wed 23 Oct 2024, 6:38 PM

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  • AFP

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Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez with his wife Begona Gomez. Reuters File Photo

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez with his wife Begona Gomez. Reuters File Photo

A Spanish court on Wednesday said it had rejected a complaint by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife Begona Gomez against the judge investigating her for alleged corruption and influence-peddling.

Tuesday's ruling is the latest twist in a saga embroiling the couple and Juan Carlos Peinado that has dogged Sanchez's minority left-wing government.


Gomez launched the lawsuit in August saying Peinado had "adopted arbitrary and manifestly unfair judicial decisions" in an "unusual and erratic" investigation.

She also accused Peinado of breaking the secrecy of the investigation after the Madrid courts released press statements on the case and certain media published material from the file before the probe was made public.


Peinado began his probe in April following a complaint filed by anti-graft NGO Manos Limpias ("Clean Hands") which has links to the far right.

Gomez is alleged to have used her husband's position as leverage in her professional circles.

Sanchez and his Socialist party have dismissed the accusations as a smear campaign by the conservative and far-right opposition against his fragile minority government.

But the Madrid High Court said Peinado had not broken the rules or acted in a way to support the claim of an "arbitrary" application of the law or abuse of office.

Peinado's decisions did not affect Gomez's rights in the investigation, the court added in its ruling.

Speaking from Portugal where he was visiting Portuguese counterpart Luis Montenegro on Wednesday, Sanchez told reporters he respected the court's decision.

Last week, the same court rejected a separate complaint against Peinado for alleged abuse of office filed by Sanchez through the state legal services.



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