Judicial officials under scrutiny for allegedly engaging in political manipulation in corruption investigations, as asserted by the Spanish Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain is facing mounting pressure over corruption cases affecting his inner circle, with several individuals close to him under investigation.
Sanchez's younger brother, David Sanchez, is under investigation for alleged embezzlement, influence peddling, and tax fraud. His wife, Begona Gomez, has been under investigation since April last year, related to her past academic job at Madrid's Complutense University, with allegations of corruption and influence peddling.
The investigation is not limited to Sanchez's family members but also includes his associates. The prime minister's former right-hand man, Santos Cerdan, was detained in June in a probe into kickbacks for public contracts. Former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and his adviser Koldo Garcia are also under investigation in the same case.
Sanchez has consistently maintained that the cases against his relatives and associates are baseless. He stated that the complaints are driven by far-right groups, causing "terrible damage" and "immense harm" to justice and the judiciary. Sanchez has also accused some judges of "doing politics."
The prime minister believes that politicians trying to do justice also exists. He stated that false accusations against him are presented in some courts to open a case. He further claimed that there are judges who engage in politics.
The investigation into Sanchez's associates is ongoing, and it is separate from the corruption cases affecting his inner circle. It is also separate from the probe into far-right groups and false accusations against Sanchez.
At present, there are no specific politicians other than Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez currently publicly known to be charged in Spain specifically in connection with corruption related to public contracts, according to the latest available information.
Despite the ongoing investigations, Sanchez remains the leader of the Socialist party and has been in power since 2018. The future of his leadership and the outcome of the investigations remain uncertain.
