Spanish Prime Minister's Brother Convicted in Nepotism Case

David Sanchez, brother of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has been found guilty of abuse of office and banned from holding public office for the next nine years due to his appointment to a cultural position in the provincial government of Badajoz in 2017.

The verdict is a fresh political blow for the Socialist prime minister, whose government and closest aides have been embroiled in corruption investigations and scandals over the past two years. Last month, a former close aide to Sanchez was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a separate corruption case, Reuters reported.

David Sánchez has been accused of benefiting from an appointment to a position that was tailored specifically for him because of his family ties to the prime minister. At the time he got the job, Pedro Sánchez had just been elected leader of the Socialists, who were then still in opposition. The prime minister has rejected the accusations, claiming that it was a politically motivated campaign led by the far right.

The court in Badajoz found that the function assigned to Sánchez, which entailed supervising the music conservatories in the province, was established without any real administrative need and served his personal interests.

"The defendants used their powers in a highly arbitrary manner, with the sole aim of favoring certain individuals," the ruling said, adding that one of the positions was later changed to suit David Sanchez's interest in opera.

The court dismissed the charge of influence peddling, which could have carried a prison sentence. Right-wing pressure groups had called for a prison sentence for Sanchez, while the prosecution demanded that the case be dismissed.

David Sanchez denied any wrongdoing during the trial. The verdict can be appealed.

Esther Muñoz, a spokeswoman for the opposition People's Party (PP), said Pedro Sánchez's resignation was long overdue. She said that while the court had not found that the prime minister influenced the hiring decision, it was hard to believe that it was a coincidence that a tailor-made job was opened for his brother, Reuters reports.

Government spokeswoman Elma Sais told reporters that the Madrid government respects the legal process and believes that higher courts will ultimately exonerate David Sanchez.

Gabriel Rufian, spokesman for the Catalan pro-independence party ERC and an ally of Sanchez's minority government, said the ban on holding public office was excessive.