Investigating Judge Begoña Gomez, wife of Pedro Sanchez, The Spanish Prime Minister was summoned to testify on July 30. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, President of Investigating Court No. 41 of Madrid, He will travel to La Moncloa. Next Tuesday at 11am to receive his certificate.
Thus, Peinado accepts the request made by the popular accusations made by Fox, who requested the testimony of Sánchez. In the summons, the judge considered it “convenient, useful and relevant to obtain the testimony of the husband of the person investigated, Pedro Sánchez Castejón” and Requests to be registered.
You may exercise the right not to testify.
Pedro Sanchez The right not to testify may be exercised.The Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that relatives of those being investigated, such as spouses, “shall be punished.” Exempted from the duty of testimony” against the immediate familyIn this case, it is the woman who is to guarantee the rights of defense. Naturally, it must be the judge who warns them of this right in the summons they receive, in which they must also inform them that they can, as witnesses, make “any statement they think fit,” even if they do not state it.
The law also allows members of the government to testify in writing as witnesses in court orders relating to facts related to their positions.
However, in this case, The paradox That Judge Peinado, who is investigating “the actions, behaviour and conduct of Begoña Gómez since her husband was head of the Spanish government and which contains the initial complaint” filed by Manos Limpias – according to a previous decision of the judge – may now use the legal text that allows this Personal interrogation A member of the executive branch in his office “when dealing with matters not related to his office.”
Going to a public official’s office to make a statement is an option that, by law, is limited to very specific positions, from the Chief Executive to the Attorney General, according to Article 412.2 of the Public Prosecution Law. The President of the Spanish Government, other members of the Executive, the Presidents of Congress and the Senate, the President of the Constitutional Court, the President of the CGPJ, the Attorney General of the State and the Presidents of the Regions.
If the judge considers that the announcement of any of these charges is due to facts “of which he was not aware by virtue of his position”, he can summon them to his address or official office, according to article 412.3 of the same law. This is the option chosen by the judge, who ordered that the injured person and “the person responsible for the building where the official office and the witness’s address are located”, in La Moncloa, be notified, who will be there at 11 a.m. on Tuesday the 30th.
This is not the first time that the judge has gone to the office of a high-ranking official to testify. In 2013, Judge Pablo Ruz questioned Pío García Escudero, then president of the Senate, in his office in the upper chamber, as part of the Bárcenas case, about the alleged extra salaries he received from the People’s Party.
last week, Begonia Gomez She went to court for the second time and took advantage of her right not to testify in the case being investigated. abuse of influence and alleged corruption In the public sector. He stressed that he had nothing to hide, but he did not see sufficient guarantees in the process in which he was being investigated.
Why is Begonia Gomez being investigated?
Begoña Gomes is being investigated for corruption and influence peddling following a complaint filed by the far-right Manos Limpias union. The pseudo-union itself has admitted to this complaint. It was based on newspaper clippings..
Manos Limpias denounces that Pedro Sanchez’s wife used her influence to benefit two businessmen: Javier Hidalgo and Juan Carlos Barrabes With public aid and contracts with the government headed by her husband. Statements that refute two reports from the UCO, the Central Operations Unit of the Civil Guard.
Javier Hidalgo He could have played an important role in the Spanish government’s rescue of Air Europa during the pandemic and Juan Carlos Barrabes was a collaborator on the Masters that Co-directed by Gomez at the Complutense University of Madrid..
The opening of proceedings against Begoña Gomez, at the end of April, caused an unprecedented 5-day pause by the Spanish Prime Minister. to think about their futureAfter this period, He decided to continue in his position. And “work tirelessly for the expected renewal of democracy.”
The Dean of Complutense moves from witness to investigation
The same judge also decided, on Monday, to attribute in this case to the rector of Complutense University, Joaquin Guiachiwho appeared in court as a witness. Now his condition has changed and he will testify the day before that, on July 29, in the morning.
Judge Guayashi indicted after hearing the testimony of the current Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations at Complutense, José Maria Coelho de Portugal, and Juan Carlos Duadrío, his predecessor in the position, as well as the University Rector himself, who testified on July 5.
Goyashi had explained that he had met Gonia Gomez in La Moncloa before starting his master’s degree and argued that he did not need a degree to teach, but rather Gomez’s experience in sustainable development.
Another witness could have confirmed that it was Goyashi who commissioned the creation of the Begonia Gomez chair.
Juan Carlos Barrabeswho co-supervised Begonia Gomez’s master’s degree, also happened to From witness to investigation After his statement.
“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”
