Begoña Gómez to Face Jury Trial as Court Drops Business Corruption Charges but Keeps Embezzlement

The Provincial Court of Madrid has confirmed the decision of Judge Juan Carlos Peinado that the case against Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, will be tried by a jury. The verdict of guilt or innocence for Gómez will be decided by nine citizens residing in the Community of Madrid.

The court dismissed some of the charges brought by Peinado—namely, misappropriation of assets and corruption in business. However, Sánchez's wife still faces charges of embezzlement of public funds and influence peddling. Alongside Gómez, her assistant Cristina Álvarez will also stand trial on the embezzlement charge, specifically regarding the alleged misuse of software belonging to the Complutense University of Madrid.

In addition, the charge of corruption in business transactions was dropped for all defendants. Juan Carlos Barrabés, Cónsul, was excluded from the jury trial, though the investigation against him will continue regarding the legality of awarding public contracts.

The court also lifted the precautionary measures previously imposed on the defendants. These included a ban on leaving the country, the confiscation of their passports, and the requirement to report to court every two weeks.

“It seems entirely plausible to assert in this case, considering the currently required standard of simple probability, that the accused gained influence by relying on her privileged position as the spouse of the Prime Minister,” the court stated.

Gómez's defence insisted that she did not receive a single euro for directing the university-external chair at Complutense, which the university's rector had invited her to lead. However, the court believes that Gómez received an indirect benefit consisting of enhanced personal and professional prestige, access to resources and events, and a sharp increase in income from the master's programs associated with the chair. According to the court, Gómez received approximately €40,000 from the university over ten years.

La Cotorra previously wrote about the latest corruption scandals surrounding Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and explored the root causes of Spanish political corruption.