The anti-corruption group behind the complaint against Begona Gomez for influence peddling and alleged corporate corruption says it cannot guarantee the veracity of the media reports on which the case is based.
Spanish prosecutors have called for the dismissal of a corruption case against the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, which prompted him to announce that he was plans to resign.
The Madrid public prosecutor’s office announced Thursday that it is appealing Wednesday’s decision by a Madrid court to examine a private complaint filed by anti-corruption activists against Begona Gomez for influence peddling and alleged corruption.
The appeal will be heard by a separate court and could take months, and the judge’s investigation into Gomez is sealed in the meantime.
The Spanish anti-corruption group behind the complaint, Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), said earlier that it had based its complaint on media reports and could not guarantee their veracity.
The group’s leader, Miguel Bernad, said in a statement on Facebook that the group simply wrote and forwarded the reports to a judge out of “civic duty,” and denied that the action was politically motivated.
“An unprecedented slander”
Sanchez, who last year won a new mandate for his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leading a minority coalition government, issued a stunning letter to citizens on Wednesday, saying he was taking a five-year break days of his public duties and that he would announce his decision to stay or leave on Monday.
He blamed the move on what he called “unprecedented smears and harassment from the right and far-right.”
In his letter, Sánchez forcefully denied the allegations against his wife. Gomez has not addressed them publicly.
Bernad, who ran in two European elections in the 1980s as a candidate for the far-right National Front, said in a statement on Thursday that the prosecution was not political but “based solely on journalistic information.” .
Manos Limpias decided to ask the court to open an investigation into Gomez’s business dealings after prosecutors failed to act on their own initiative and the investigating judge will decide whether the media reports are true, Bernad said .
The judge in the case, Juan Carlos Peinado, said Wednesday he would open a preliminary investigation to determine whether Gomez engaged in influence peddling and corruption in her private business dealings.
A “toxic” climate
Senior PSOE officials closed ranks around Sánchez, calling the political climate “toxic” and Manos Limpias’ complaint false.
Deputy Prime Minister and Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero said she hoped he would announce next week that he would stay in his post “because we need him.”
If Sanchez resigns, a new candidate for prime minister could come up for a vote in the lower house of Parliament or early elections could be held this summer.
Sánchez could also submit to a vote of confidence to strengthen his leadership.
