Overview
- Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who closed the nearly two‑year inquiry Monday, asked a court to indict Begoña Gómez on influence peddling, business corruption, embezzlement, and misappropriation.
- The order centers on her work tied to a master’s program at the Complutense University of Madrid and alleges she leveraged access linked to the prime minister to secure exceptional meetings and benefits.
- Investigators say private fundraising linked to the program masked hidden compensation, and one strand cites software provided to her by private firms as a disguised payment tied to public tenders.
- Next in the process, prosecution and defense have five days to file their conclusions before a judge decides on opening a trial, with a disputed option for a trial by a popular jury already questioned by the Madrid court.
- The government condemned the move after it was announced during Sánchez’s visit to China, with minister Félix Bolaños calling it an affront to justice, while Spanish law allowing “popular” private accusations explains how the case continued despite repeated bids by prosecutors to close it.