Madrid: A Spanish judge on Monday ordered Begona Gomez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, to surrender her passport this week, while Spain’s judicial governing body moved forward with a review of the judge’s conduct. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado summoned Gomez to court on Wednesday to hand over her passport and comply with other precautionary measures, including a travel ban and a requirement to report to court twice a month.
According to Anadolu Agency, the measures were imposed after Peinado ordered Gomez to stand trial on allegations, including influence peddling, business corruption, misuse of public funds, and misappropriation. Gomez denies any wrongdoing. The case centers on allegations that Gomez used her position as the prime minister’s wife to advance professional projects and improperly benefited from business relationships. Investigators have also examined whether a government employee assigned to assist her in an official capacity helped with private activities.
The investigation began in 2024 after a complaint was filed by Manos Limpias, a self-described anti-corruption group known for backing causes associated with Spain’s far right. The complaint relied largely on media reports and was later expanded by Peinado into a broader investigation. Sanchez and his Socialist Party have repeatedly described the case as politically motivated and have accused opponents of using the courts to target his family. The prime minister’s brother, David Sanchez, also faced a trial for accepting a job that was allegedly improperly given to him.
The development in the Gomez case coincided with a separate development involving Judge Peinado himself. Spain’s General Council of the Judiciary, the body that oversees judges, agreed Monday to begin reviewing whether disciplinary action should be taken against the magistrate after he suggested in a court ruling that police officers assigned to protect Gomez could potentially help her evade justice and flee the country.
Separately on Monday, Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced former Socialist Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos, formerly a close ally of Sanchez, to more than 24 years in prison for corruption offenses linked to the purchase of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo cited the ruling in renewed calls for Sanchez to step down, describing him as “a shameful prime minister.” Socialist officials condemned Abalos’ conduct and noted that he had been expelled from the party after the corruption investigation began.