Jump to content

Draft:Begoña Gómez Case

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Begoña Gómez has been the spouse of Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez since 2006..[1] She worked at Inmark company until 2018, [2] when Pedro Sánchez was appointed president of the government of Spain [3]. From 2018 to 2022 she directed the Africa Center, and since 2020 she is a professor at the Complutense University, despite not having a university education [4] [5].

Begoña Gómez sent several letters of recommendation [6] to various businessmen who had met with her at the Moncloa Palace, including Juan José Hidalgo (chairman of Air Europa) [7] and Juan Carlos Barrabés [8]. The company Air Europa received a loan from the government of Spain in 2020 for an amount of 616 million euros. The controversy began in the Spanish media, which reported the facts.

On 16 April 2024, the Manos Limpias trade union filed a complaint in the Madrid Courts, based on the facts published in the Spanish media [9]. This complaint was adjudicated to the 41st court of Madrid, to Judge Peinado [10].

Judicial process

On April 24, 2024, Judge Peinado opened proceedings against Begoña Gómez for influence peddling and corruption in business, following the complaint of Manos Limpias[11]. He requested that the Civil Guard investigate the loan to Air Europa and the awarding of public contracts to Juan Carlos Barrabés. The Central Operational Unit of the Civil Guard issued a preliminary report in which it mentioned all the contracts awarded to the companies of Juan Carlos Barrabés in the Ministries of Education, Transport, Labour, Social Security, Industry and Economy, as well as to the public enterprises of the Higher Sports Council, RENFE and ICEX, but found no relationship between these awards and Begoña Gómez [12]. Likewise, it also did not find a relationship between the loan to Air Europa and Begoña Gómez [13][14].

The organization "Hazte Oír" [15] and the political party Vox [16] also filed complaints related to these same facts and related to Begoña Gómez's chair at the Complutense University, which were also admitted by the 41st Court of Madrid.

On May 29, 2024, the Provincial Court of Madrid endorsed the continuation of the investigation, except in relation to the loan granted to Air Europa, in which it has found no evidence of a crime [17][18].

In view of the possible embezzlement of public funds from the European Union, on June 10, 2024, the European Union Public Prosecutor's Office asked Judge Peinado to take charge of the part of the procedure related to the awarded contracts that have been financed with these European Union funds [19].

In view of these facts, the Court called Juan Carlos Barrabés and the officials who awarded these contracts to testify as witnesses. Juan Carlos Barrabés testified that he met eight times at the Moncloa Palace with Begoña Gómez, and at least 2 times with President Pedro Sánchez [20]. Juan Carlos Barrabés has been charged with influence peddling and corruption in business, and has been called to testify again on August 1, 2024 [21].

The Complutense University sent the judge a report in which it found indications that Begoña Gómez could have committed a crime of misappropriation by having appropriated software financed by the University itself, and by having issued contracts and expenses on behalf of the University without being authorized to do so. The report also indicated the lack of cooperation on the part of the investigated [22].

For this reason, Judge Peinado called Begoña Gómez to testify [23][24]. On July 19, Begoña Gómez went to Court 41 in Madrid, for which a strong police device was deployed [25][26]. Begoña Gómez refused to testify on the advice of her lawyer [27] . Outside the courthouses, many demonstrators protested against government corruption.

In the subsequent statement of the vice-rectors of the Complutense University, they declared that they had warned Begoña Gómez that she could not put the software financed by the Complutense University in her name. Likewise, the vice-rector Juan Carlos Doadrio declared that it was the rector Joaquín Goyache who directly ordered him to create the chair of Begoña Gómez [28]. Goyache, initially called to testify as a witness, later acquired the status of being investigated [29]. Vox expanded its complaint to include the crime of professional intrusion for working as a university professor [30].

On July 22, the judge summoned President Pedro Sánchez to testify as a witness </ref>[32]. Pedro Sánchez filed an appeal wanting to testify in writing, not personally [33]. This appeal was denied by the court and the judge went to the Moncloa Palace to take a statement from the president. Pedro Sánchez refused to testify [34]. This suggests that the president will be charged in the proceedings [35].

The president then filed a complaint against Judge Peinado for prevarication, using the State Attorney's Office for this purpose. For this reason, the political party Vox and the organization "Hazte Oir" have filed complaints against President Pedro Sánchez and against the Minister of Justice for having used the State Attorney's Office to attack the judge investigating his wife [36]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bolonio, Marta (23 June 2014). "Pedro Sánchez, la vida familiar del político al que han apodado 'míster PSOE 2014'". Vanitatis. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. ^ Agencia EFE (24 April 2024). "Begoña Gómez, esposa de Pedro Sánchez, investigada por presunto tráfico de influencias y corrupción". Marca. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  3. ^ Alberola, Miquel (1 June 2018). "Pedro Sánchez, presidente del Gobierno tras ganar la moción de censura a Rajoy". El País.
  4. ^ Gómez, Teresa (2024-05-14). "Begoña Gómez se presenta como directora de su cátedra de la UCM, pero oficialmente no lo es". The Objective. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  5. ^ Laborda, Adrià (2021-03-23). "Begoña Gómez, la esposa de Pedro Sánchez, sigue siendo docente en la Universidad Complutense". AFP Factual. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  6. ^ González, Ricard (19 May 2024). "El 'caso Begoña Gómez': la investigación y las sospechas detrás de la crisis diplomática desatada entre Javier Milei y Pedro Sánchez". La Nación (in Spanish). ISSN 0325-0946. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Pedro Sánchez se vio con Aldama, Koldo e Hidalgo en la antesala del Delcygate". efe.com. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  8. ^ "El empresario Barrabés declara ante el juez que se reunió dos veces con Pedro Sánchez en La Moncloa". efe.com. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  9. ^ "Lo 'pseudosindacato' di estrema destra che ha denunciato la moglie di Pedro Sánchez in Spagna". Il Post (in Italian). 25 April 2024. ISSN 2610-9980. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  10. ^ Marraco, Manuel (2024-04-24). "Un juzgado de Madrid investiga a la mujer de Pedro Sánchez por tráfico de influencias y corrupción en los negocios". El Mundo. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  11. ^ Diego Navarro. "De qué se acusa a Begoña Gómez y quiénes son los denunciantes". Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  12. ^ Entrambasaguas, Alejandro (2024-04-02). "Las consultoras recomendadas por Begoña Gómez han recibido 15,6 millones de seis ministerios desde que ella firmó la carta de apoyo". El Debate. Madrid. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  13. ^ "La Guardia Civil no aprecia indicios de delito en la actuación Begoña Gómez, la mujer del presidente". Cadena Ser. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  14. ^ "La Guardia Civil no ve delito en la actuación de Begoña Gómez tras la denuncia de Manos Limpias". Infobae. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  15. ^ Marraco, Manuel (2024-04-26). "Hazte Oír se querella contra Begoña Gómez por tráfico de influencias tras no tener noticias de sus denuncias ante la Fiscalía". El Mundo. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  16. ^ Pozas, Alberto (2024-04-29). "Vox se suma a Manos Limpias y HazteOir y pide ser acusación popular en la investigación a Begoña Gómez". elDiario.es. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  17. ^ "Noticias falsas y el rescate de Air Europa: lo que la Audiencia de Madrid puede tumbar de la causa contra Begoña Gómez". Público. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  18. ^ "La Audiencia de Madrid avala pero pone límites a la investigación a Begoña Gómez". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  19. ^ Marraco, Manuel (2024-06-10). "La Fiscalía Europea comunica al juez Peinado que asume el 'caso Begoña Gómez' y deja en el aire su citación como investigada". Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  20. ^ "El empresario Barrabés declara ante el juez que se reunió dos veces con Pedro Sánchez en La Moncloa". efe.com. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  21. ^ Europa Press (2024-07-19). "El juez imputa a Carlos Barrabés tras reconocer sus encuentros en La Moncloa con Begoña Gómez". El Heraldo de Aragón. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  22. ^ "La Universidad Complutense pide al juez que investigue a Begoña Gómez por "apropiación indebida" tras hallar "indicios" en una investigación interna". El Mundo. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  23. ^ "Suspendida la declaración de Begoña Gómez, que es citada de nuevo el día 19 de julio". Libertad Digital. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  24. ^ Agencia EFE (2024-07-05). "Spain PM's wife testifies in alleged corruption probe". efe.com. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  25. ^ "Despliegue policial sin precedentes para blindar la declaración de Begoña Gómez ante el juez". La Vanguardia. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  26. ^ Press, Europa (2024-07-05). "Despliegue policial en los juzgados de Plaza de Castilla ante la declaración como investigada de Begoña Gómez". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  27. ^ "Begoña Gómez se niega a declarar ante el juez que la investiga por tráfico de influencias y corrupción en los negocios". El Mundo. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  28. ^ "El exvicerrector de la Complutense declara que Goyache ordenó crear la cátedra para Begoña Gómez". ABC. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  29. ^ del Toro, Paula (22 July 2024). "Quién es Joaquín Goyache, llamado a declarar como investigado en el caso Begoña". Newtral. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Los dos nuevos delitos que el juez deberá decidir si imputa a Begoña Gómez". 20 minutos. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  31. ^ Pedro Águeda (24 July 2024). "Las claves de la citación del juez para que declare Pedro Sánchez en la Moncloa y no en un juzgado basándose en artículos legales que "no existen"". maldita.es. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  32. ^ La citación tendría lugar en Moncloa pues La Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal establece que los jueces se desplazarán al domicilio u oficina de los presidentes del Gobierno cuando tomen su declaración como testigo en la fase de instrucción[31]
  33. ^ Beatríz García (26 July 2024). "Begoña Gómez urge a la Audiencia Provincial a que se pronuncie sobre su causa antes del 30 de septiembre". larazon.es. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Pedro Sánchez se niega a declarar contra su esposa". La Razón de México (in Spanish). 30 July 2014.
  35. ^ "La sombra de su posible imputación sobrevuela la declaración de Sánchez". ABC (in Spanish). 30 July 2014.
  36. ^ "Vox se querella contra Pedro Sánchez, Félix Bolaños y el abogado general del Estado". ABC (in Spanish). 31 July 2014.