Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, appeared in court on September tenth to answer questions regarding the role of her advisor, Cristina Álvarez. Gómez informed the presiding judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, that Álvarez had assisted her with specific tasks and had occasionally rendered a ‘favour’, such as contacting a company about sponsorship for a chair she co-directed at the Complutense University of Madrid. López had opted to only respond to questions from her lawyer during the session.

Gómez’s defence, led by former minister Antonio Camacho, argued that providing assistance to someone with whom one maintains a friendship does not constitute a serious criminal offence such as malversation. The court is currently investigating whether there was a diversion of public funds in Álvarez’s appointment, as well as the extent of her private responsibilities for Gómez.

This marks Gómez’s fourth appearance before the judge, following a lengthy investigation initiated in April 2024, leading to her being charged with multiple counts. The investigation includes allegations of using her position as the Prime Minister’s spouse to favour certain businesses. Furthermore, the judge had recently requested an examination of emails related to the appointment from the period of July 2018 onwards.

Currently, there are eight appeals pending resolution in the Provincial Court of Madrid linked to this case, with six already under processing. As this high-profile case unfolds, public interest remains high regarding the implications of Gomez’s statements and the broader investigation into potential irregularities within the government.