Spanish PM Sanchez considering resignation after wife's graft probe

NEWS WIRES

24 April 2024 at 2:40 pm·1-min read

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday he was "reflecting" on the possibility of resigning after a court opened an investigation into his wife Begona Gomez on suspicion of graft.

"I need to stop and think" in order to decide "whether I should continue to head the government or whether I should give up this honour," he wrote in a letter posted on X, formerly Twitter, adding he would announce his decision on Monday and suspend his schedule until then.

A Madrid court said earlier on Wednesday that it had "opened an investigation into Begona Gomez for the alleged offence of influence peddling and corruption" in response to a complaint by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), an anti-corruption pressure group whose leader is linked to the far right.

The brief court statement came several hours after online news site El Confidencial said investigators were probing Gomez's ties to several private companies that received government funding or won public contracts.

The site said the probe was linked to the alleged ties which Gomez – who does not hold public office and maintains a low profile – had with Spanish tourism group Globalia, which owns Air Europa.

(AFP)

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