Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has declined to testify as a witness in a court inquiry into suspected corruption and influence peddling against his wife, which prompted him to consider resigning in April, according to lawyers present at the session.
The proceedings are part of a preliminary investigation into whether Begona Gomez used her position as Premier’s wife to seek sponsors for a master’s degree course she ran at a university.
Sanchez has frequently disputed the accusations leveled against her, claiming they are unfounded and organised by right-wing political opponents.
However, the state attorney’s office filed a lawsuit on his behalf against the investigating judge, alleging wrongdoing.
Gomez herself has not publicly commented on the case.
Her lawyer, former Interior Minister Antonio Camacho, stated that Sanchez’s testimony lasted two minutes, and Judge Juan Carlos Peinado asked him two questions: whether he was related to any of the people under investigation, and whether he wanted to testify.
Sanchez said that Gomez was his wife, and he did not wish to testify.
Under Spanish law, close relatives, including spouses, may refuse to answer questions posed by a judge.
Report says Peinado was accompanied by Gomez’s counsel, representatives of the prosecutor and a lawyer for far-right party VOX, which uses a legal instrument known as “the people’s accusation” which lets private individuals bring criminal complaints against third parties.
In late April, Sanchez took a five-day break from his duties to weigh whether to resign after the court opened the investigation, but ultimately decided to stay on.
It is the first time a sitting Spanish prime minister has been called to testify in a judicial case since his predecessor Mariano Rajoy was summoned as a witness in 2017 in a graft case.
The case led to the conviction of several members of his conservative People’s Party and ultimately to a 2018 vote of no confidence that allowed Sanchez to become prime minister.
