Spanish premier’s wife refuses to answer questions in corruption probe

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Begona Gomez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, refused to testify in a Madrid court on Friday, where she is being investigated on corruption allegations.

Her lawyer Antonio Camacho later told media outside the courthouse that he advised her to use her right to remain silent due to the legal dubiousness around the case.

He highlighted the judge’s statement, which said all of Gomez’s activities since her husband became prime minister would be investigated.

“Our position is that the process lacks any clear goals… a judge cannot investigate anything, there should be limits to guarantee the rights of those under investigation,” he said.

Gomez also appeared before the court on July 5. On that occasion, the judge suspended her testimony because he agreed she was not fully informed about the accusations against her.

The accusations against Gomez were brought forward by different right-wing pressure groups, who say she used her influence as the prime minister’s wife to help secure public contracts and funding for the university program that she directs.

Two police reports looking at certain charges said they found no indications of criminal activity.

However, the focus is now on whether there was irregular activity around the master’s program she created at the Complutense University in Madrid, which the university says it can neither confirm nor deny.

Many pundits suggest that even if her dealings were legal, there are now increasing questions about ethical boundaries.

On Friday, two of her colleagues at the university are set to testify. The accusing parties are expected to ask about alleged meetings with Gomez in the Moncloa Palace, the official residence and workplace of the head of the Spanish government.

Prime Minister Sanchez has consistently denied any wrongdoing on his wife’s part.

In late April, when the investigation was first announced, he even threatened to step down from his post over what he called a “bullying operation” conducted against his family.

In June, a court also opened a preliminary probe into his brother, after one of the far-right pressure groups involved in the case against his wife alleged that he receives a public salary in a local government but does not comply with all of his job requirements, according to media reports.