The plenary session of Section 23 of the Provincial Court of Madrid has agreed this Thursday to endorse the decision of Judge Juan Carlos Peinado to send Begoña Gómez, the wife of the President of the Government, to trial by jury Pedro Sánchez, for the crimes of influence peddling and embezzlement. In addition, he agrees to revoke the decision of the investigator to withdraw his passport and orders that it be returned to him.
The court rejects, however, thatPedro Sánchez’s wife is tried for misappropriation and corruption in business, so the nine members of the court will have to decide whether or not she is guilty of two of the crimes of which Judge Peinado accused her.
Along with Begoña Gómez, his assistant in Moncloa, Cristina Álvarez, will also be tried for an alleged crime of embezzlement of public funds, only in relation to the alleged diversion of the software, and will not go to trial for influence peddling. In addition, the accusation of corruption in business is dismissed.
The businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés is separated from the procedure by Law of the Jury, against whom the investigation will continue in an abbreviated procedure in relation to the legality of the awarding of public contracts to his company.
In addition, the Chamber agrees to lift the personal precautionary measures agreed with respect to those under investigation, consisting of the prohibition to leave the country, the surrender of the passport and the obligation to sign every fifteen days before the judicial authority, without prejudice to the fact that both are located at all times.
