The judge has summoned Begoña Gómez, under investigation for corruption in the private sector and influence peddling (she wrote letters of recommendation for her partners’ companies to win public tenders) and the news, expected, has unleashed a political storm five days before the European elections.
The PP has called for the resignation of the prime minister, who has responded with a new “letter to the citizens”: “What they did not achieve at the ballot box they are trying to achieve in a spurious way,” says Sánchez. “My wife and I have learned today, through the media, that Begoña has been summoned as a defendant on 5 July (…) There is nothing behind this accusation, only a slanderous set-up promoted by the ultra-right-wing plaintiff associations (…) My decision to continue as president is firmer than ever (…) Sincerely, Pedro Sánchez”.
As the newspaper El Mundo explains, Sánchez has repeated the strategy of his first letter, in which he presented himself as a victim and overreacted to the opening of proceedings against his wife. In this new inflammatory text he has gone a step further, and has implicitly accused the judge of “conditioning the normal development of an electoral campaign”. Moreover, he has linked the judicial action to the “reactionary coalition led by Mr. Feijóo and Mr. Abascal”. According to this newspaper, beyond the possible criminal responsibility, the behaviour of Sánchez’s wife is politically and ethically unacceptable.
According to the digital newspaper El Confidencial, the judge is expanding the Begoña Gómez case and is already pointing to new lines of investigation. With public awards of some €20 million under suspicion, the judge is opening a separate piece focused on the financing of more public contracts awarded to the businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés – Begoña Gómez’s partner – to check whether there were irregularities.
According to the daily El Economista: “The European Public Prosecutor’s Office contradicts the Spanish one and opens an investigation into Begoña Gómez” so that “Judge Peinado authorises the opening of a separate investigation after the request of the EU body”.
Libertad Digital points out that Sánchez calls on citizens to “respond at the ballot box” as if the results of the PSOE would determine the innocence or guilt of his wife.
And the digital Vozpópuli points out that the judge has summoned the wife of the President of the Government for 5 July in view of the “indications of criminal acts” for the letters of support to Barrabés before being awarded two public contracts. And that the influence peddling and corruption that the judge accuses Begoña Gómez of, add up to six years in prison.
The pro-Sanchista daily El País explains that announcing the summons to Begoña Gómez in the middle of the campaign breaks the custom of the courts of trying not to interfere in the elections.
