Madrid Court Indicts PM Sanchez's Wife on Corruption Charges

A Madrid court has indicted Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, on charges including influence peddling, bribery, embezzlement, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of public funds. The ruling, issued Monday by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado of the city's Investigative Court No. 41, follows a two-year probe that began in April 2024 and paves the way for Gómez to stand trial, potentially before a jury.

The investigation centers on Gómez's activities as co-director of master's programs and a special chair at Madrid's Complutense University. Prosecutors allege she exploited her position as the prime minister's spouse to secure benefits for private companies and her professional endeavors. Key evidence includes recommendation letters she provided to businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés, whose firm subsequently obtained millions in government contracts. The probe has also implicated a government-paid aide, accused of assisting with her university work in ways that may have involved embezzlement, as well as claims of professional intrusion.

In the court's ruling, as quoted by national broadcaster RTVE, Peinado wrote that Gómez's status "benefited...