PRIME Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has accused some judges of ‘practising politics’ as corruption probes affecting close colleagues as well as his wife and brother mount up.
Sanchez was interviewed on TVE on Monday by journalist Pepa Bueno where he pulled no punches over his views.
“That there are judges who do politics and politicians who try to do justice, there is no doubt,” Sanchez said.
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“Fortunately, it is a minority, but it exists and it causes terrible damage, immense harm to justice and to the judiciary,” he added.
The Prime Minister said the cases against his relatives were baseless and driven by complaints from far-right groups.
Sanchez referred to the case involving his wife, Begoña Gomez, who is being prosecuted by Judge Peinado, and about that of his brother, David.
Sanchez’s wife has been under investigation since April last year for alleged corruption and influence-peddling related to her past academic job at Madrid’s Complutense University.
His younger brother, David, is under investigation for alleged embezzlement, influence-peddling, and tax fraud.
“People are paying just because they are relatives of mine,” he commented.
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.
“I had no objective information indicating that they could commit supposed acts of corruption,” Sanchez said when asked about that case, rejecting claims of ‘systemic corruption’ within his PSOE Socialist Party.
Sanchez’s minority government has struggled to pass laws in Congress, prompting speculation that the administration could roll over the Budget for a second year.
He said a Budget would be presented for this year and he would ‘fight to get it approved’.
Sanchez also rejected the idea of resigning or calling an early general election which he said would lead to paralysis.
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