Court bans Spanish PM's wife from leaving country

Madrid: A Spanish court has ordered the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Begona Gomez, to stand trial by jury for corruption and banned her from leaving the country, according to a court order released Saturday.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered Gomez to hand in her passport and to to appear before the court twice a month until a verdict is reached in the case. the ruling said.

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The court said "instructions shall be issued to all border posts and civilian and military airports" to ensure Gomez complies with the ban on leaving the country.

No date for the politically explosive trial has been set.

Peinado in April formally charged Gomez with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds.

He opened the investigation in April 2024 to determine whether Gomez had exploited her position as Sanchez's wife for private gain, which she and the prime minister deny.

The case centres on the creation and management of a chair at Madrid's Complutense University that was co-directed by Gomez, as well as the alleged use of public resources and personal connections to advance private interests.

Gomez has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Sanchez has dismissed the allegations against his wife as an attempt by the right wing to undermine his government. Opposition parties have called for his resignation.

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The case originated from a complaint filed by an anti-corruption group with far-right ties.

The case is one of several corruption affairs that have embroiled the Socialist leader's family and former allies, putting pressure on his minority coalition government.