Le Pays De France - Spain PM's wife stays silent in graft probe hearing

The investigation over alleged corruption and influence peddling has infuriated Sanchez, who has characterised the allegations as an effort to undermine him and his left-wing government.

Gomez arrived at the Madrid court shortly before 10:00 am (0800 GMT), entering through the parking garage to avoid the media scrum.

But she left the office of judge Juan Carlos Peinado a few minutes later with a judicial source saying she had invoked her right to remain silent during the brief, closed session.

"This procedure has no reason to exist at this stage," her lawyer Antonio Camacho told reporters as he left the court, saying three months of investigations had so far "yielded nothing".

"We do not understand what is guiding the investigating judge in this investigation, which is growing in scope," he said, criticising the judge.

But Spain's right and far-right opposition, which has repeatedly expressed outrage over the allegations, was quick to criticise.

"Begona Gomez refuses to speak about it in court just as Sanchez refuses to speak about it in parliament," said Miguel Tellado, spokesman for the right-wing opposition Popular Party (PP).

"It's a real insult to all Spaniards," said Jorge Buxade of the far-right Vox.

- 'Unfair persecution' -

Gomez had briefly appeared before the same judge on July 5, but the hearing was suspended after her lawyer said they had "not been notified" about all the complaints against her and asked for time to study them.

The investigation began on April 16 following a complaint by Manos Limpias ("Clean Hands"), an anti-graft NGO linked to the far-right, alleging corruption in the private sector and influence peddling, while admitting its claims were based on media reports.

A second complaint, citing influence peddling, was filed by Hazte Oir ("Make Yourself Heard"), an ultra-Catholic pressure group with far-right ties.

But Sanchez has repeatedly insisted his wife has done nothing wrong, with his justice minister, Felix Bolanos, on Friday coming out in her defence.

"Begona Gomez is suffering a cruel and unfair persecution, in a judicial process riddled with lies and petty trivialities, with all reports and statements proving there is nothing, and that's why the truth will win, justice will prevail and the case will be closed," Bolanos said.

- Business ties -

Gomez, who has worked in fundraising for years, notably for foundations and NGOs, is alleged to have used her husband's position as leverage within her professional circles, notably with a businessman called Juan Carlos Barrabes who was seeking public funding.

Testifying this week, Barrabes -- who teaches part of a master's course at Madrid's Complutense University that is run by Gomez -- acknowledged meeting her five or six times at Moncloa, the premier's official residence.

Sanchez was also present at two of those meetings, he said.

Barrabes -- who got two letters of recommendation from Gomez before pitching for a public tender worth several million euros -- said they only talked about matters of innovation, judicial sources said.

Sanchez's Socialist party said there was "absolutely nothing" unusual in such meetings, which were normal for the prime minister, and police investigators also presented a new report to the court earlier this month saying they found no irregularities on Gomez's part.

The public prosecutor's office also called for the case to be closed for lack of evidence at the end of April. But Peinado refused, insisting there was "sufficient" evidence to continue.

When news of the probe broke in April, Sanchez shocked Spain by saying he was considering resigning over what he described as a campaign of political harassment by the right. He ultimately decided to stay on.

Gomez did not want to give up her career when her husband became premier in 2018 and has since retained a low public profile.

Now 49, she has not spoken publicly about the case.

(M.LaRue--LPdF)