The CGPJ will study whether to open proceedings against Peinado for questioning the police's work

BarcelonaThe permanent commission of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) will study whether to open proceedings against judge Juan Carlos Peinado for his order regarding Begoña Gómez, in which he withdrew her passport with the argument that her escorts could help her in an eventual escape. The body met this Sunday extraordinarily and remotely, but decided to postpone the debate until this Monday.

The meeting, which began at 10 a.m., as confirmed to Efe by legal sources, comes after the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, conveyed yesterday his "most energetic complaint" to the CGPJ and requested the adoption of "the measures that may be appropriate in the use of its powers".

The president of the CGPJ, Isabel Perelló, proposed this Sunday to address whether the argument used by Peinado warrants the opening of disciplinary proceedings against the judge. The final decision will be made in a new meeting this Monday at 9 a.m. The objective, according to sources from the body, is to "give more time for the debate" and for the meeting to be held in person.

In fact, Peinado's argument not only outraged Marlaska and Moncloa —who consider that her order confirms the judge's "persecution, obsession, and disproportion" against Begoña Gómez— but also irritated police unions.

The majority union of the National Police, Jupol, demanded a "rectification" from the judge. "It is an authentic barbarity to suggest that members of the National Police and, in particular, agents assigned to the security of the government presidency could collaborate in a hypothetical escape or in any action aimed at removing a person from the action of justice, whoever says so," they criticized this Saturday in a statement. The SUP union also joined in, calling Peinado's statement "especially concerning": "National police officers do not act outside the law."

This Sunday, the National Police itself joined the criticism. In a statement, they affirm that "any argumentation that casts doubt on the work of agents, suggesting that they could cooperate in evading justice or in breaching precautionary measures by individuals under their custody or escort, is unjustified." Furthermore, the Police wanted to make "the most absolute, firm, and scrupulous defense of the honor, integrity, and prestige" of its agents.

Peinado's argument

How is the passport withdrawal for Gómez justified? Although the Spanish president's wife is always accompanied by escorts – this is the argument her defense used to reject the precautionary measures requested by Hazte Oír – the judge considers that these agents could help Gómez flee: "These agents, at a given moment, can, either on their own initiative or following orders from their hierarchical superiors, collaborate in the action or actions to facilitate this escape, making it impossible for the accused to be available to justice".

The judge adds, moreover, that the "condition" of Pedro Sánchez as Spanish president is something "ephemeral and, therefore, transitory", which means that the escorts Begoña Gómez currently has could "disappear". "This would further facilitate this hypothetical escape".

Peinado resolved this Saturday the request for precautionary measures that the popular accusations had made to him in the pre-trial hearing for the opening of oral proceedings, which was held on Monday. In addition to the withdrawal of the passport, he also prohibits her from leaving the State and obliges her to report to the court every fifteen days. These are the measures requested by Hazte Oír, the ultra entity that groups the popular accusations, because they considered there was a risk of flight. However, they had not requested preventive detention.

Peinado also accepted the same precautionary measures for Begoña Gómez's advisor, Cristina Álvarez. With this order, the magistrate also ordered the opening of oral proceedings for Gómez, Álvarez, and the businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés, for whom he did not impose any precautionary measures.