The wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez - Begoña Gomez, has been officially accused of corruption after a two-year investigation, according to a court ruling announced on Monday, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by dariknews.bg.
A judge has charged Gomez with abuse of power, trading in influence, corruption and embezzlement, the ruling from April 11 said.
The investigation focuses on contracts worth millions of euros awarded to companies that supported her academic projects, and the use of state resources (including advisers from the prime minister's residence “Moncloa“) for personal purposes.
Gomez and Sanchez categorically deny all the charges, describing them as “political” persecution“ by the right.
Pedro Sánchez's wife has a degree in marketing from the ESIC business school in Madrid and a master's degree in business administration.
She has worked as a consultant for organizations such as Amnesty International and Oxfam. She was director of the “Africa Center“ at IE Business School (2018-2022) and co-director of master's programs at the Complutense University of Madrid.
There is no official title of "first lady" in Spain, but she accompanies Sánchez on official visits, including their current visit to China.
Bégoña Gómez was born in Bilbao in 1971, but spent much of her childhood in the village of Valderas, in the province of León, where she grew up.
The couple have two daughters, Ainua and Carlota. This year, the prime minister's family celebrates 20 years of married life.