A new phase of a high-profile investigation is unfolding in Spain, one that could shape perceptions of government transparency. A judicial inquiry into the foreign travels of the prime minister’s wife and her adviser may lead to a review of reporting standards for top officials. Whether these visits were official or personal is becoming increasingly significant amid rising public interest in the use of state resources.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has requested that the Ministry of the Interior provide, within ten days, complete information regarding all foreign trips taken by Begoña Gómez and her adviser Cristina Álvarez since July 2018. Special attention is being paid to visits to the Dominican Republic, Guinea, Russia, and several other countries. The court is seeking clarification on whether these trips were linked to official duties or were of a private nature.
As part of the investigation, copies of all emails sent and received by Begoña Gómez during the same period have also been requested. The judge emphasized that failure to submit the information within the deadline could be considered a violation of a court order. Such measures, he explained, are necessary to determine whether there was any abuse of power or misappropriation of public funds.
Causes and consequences
The case concerns not only potential violations, but also the principles of transparency in the operations of state institutions. Investigators are checking whether public resources were used for personal purposes, as well as possible irregularities in the appointment of the prime minister’s wife’s advisor. Specifically, the court is interested in whether Cristina Álvarez performed private tasks for Begoña Gómez as part of her work at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
The judge pointed out that both individuals refused to voluntarily provide their passports, which forced the use of official requests. According to Peinado, the lack of cooperation from Gómez and Álvarez complicates the investigation and requires additional measures. He also reminded that the government president Pedro Sánchez exercised his right not to testify as the spouse of the accused.
If there is no response to the requests, the court may consider searches, but for now has limited itself to demanding documents. This caution is explained by the desire not to violate the principle of proportionality in investigative actions.
Investigation details
The court’s attention is focused on potential cases of embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption, and unlawful appropriation of authority. All these charges have been consolidated into a single proceeding to ensure a comprehensive approach to the investigation. Particular interest revolves around whether the trips taken by Gómez and Álvarez were authorized by official bodies or carried out on their personal initiative.
The judge emphasized that the requests for information are linked to the insufficient willingness of those involved to cooperate with the investigation. He noted that the only time Begoña Gómez gave testimony, she responded solely to questions from her own lawyer. According to the court, this circumstance makes it necessary to use alternative methods of obtaining information.
As an argument supporting the need for access to travel data and correspondence, the judge stated that this is the only way to determine whether there were abuses of official powers. He also pointed out that conducting searches in the suspects’ homes would be an excessive measure, so a softer approach to evidence gathering was chosen.
Context and Parallels
The situation surrounding the investigation is reminiscent of other high-profile cases in recent years, when courts have demanded that government agencies disclose information about the actions of high-ranking officials. For example, in the recent scandal involving audio recordings and interrogations, where key figures also refused to cooperate, public attention was focused on the details of meetings and the transfer of documents. More information about this case can be found in the article on unexpected confessions and secret meetings between the subjects of the investigation.
In recent years, Spain has seen an increase in cases where courts require government bodies and officials to provide detailed information about foreign trips, expenses, and official correspondence. Such measures often spark public debate and raise questions about the boundaries between privacy and public accountability. These investigations are usually accompanied by heightened focus on transparency and government accountability, and often lead to a review of procedures for monitoring the use of public resources.
