A Madrid court has opened preliminary proceedings against Begoña Gómez, wife of Pedro Sánchez, to investigate the relationships she has had with several private companies that have ended up receiving funds and public contracts from the Spanish government. In other words, the investigation seeks to resolve whether crimes of influence peddling and corruption have been committed, according to the digital news outlet El Confidencial. The case is in the hands of judge Juan Carlos Peinado, whose first steps include the issue of summonses to several witnesses with the aim of delimiting Gómez's businesses and their relationship with the government. The investigative proceedings have been declared confidential.
The complaint that led to the opening of these proceedings was presented by the far right-linked Manos Limpias ("Clean Hands") public employees' collective. The complaint calls for Gómez to be cited as a suspect and maintains that crimes have been committed linked to Article 429 of the Penal Code, under which individuals can be prosecuted for influencing public officials or authorities "taking advantage of any situation derived from their personal relationship with them" to obtain, directly or indirectly, an economic benefit for themselves or others.
As well, the complaint asserts that a crime of private corruption, regulated by Article 286 bis of the Penal Code, has also been committed. This punishes those who "promise, offer or grant managers, employees or collaborators of a mercantile company or a society, association, foundation or organization a benefit or advantage of any nature that is not justified so that it favours them or a third party over others".
Air Europa and Begoña Gómez
Today's move by the the judge stems from meetings held by Gómez with Javier Hidalgo, CEO of Air Europa at the time, in 2020. It was during these meetings that the rescue mechanism for private companies affected by Covid was approved and, four months later, the airline received 475 million euros from the Spanish state. The facts that no other company of this type received so much money from the rescue fund and, in addition, that Pedro Sánchez participated in the Spanish cabinet meeting that authorized the granting of these funds are highlighted in the complaint. Not only is Gómez's relationship with Air Europa under the spotlight in this investigation, but she is also suspected due to two letters of support for a joint venture between private companies (UTE, in its Spanish acronym) that were submitted to a public tender, which depended at that time on the economy ministry.
For its part, the People's Party (PP) has jumped into action to promote this investigation and has threatened to summon the Spanish PM's partner to the commission of inqiury into the Koldo Case in the Senate. In their initial planning they did not do so, but they do not rule out the possibility.