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

BarcelonaFor months, the case being investigated by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado against Begoña Gómez, wife of the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, has been causing unease within socialist ranks: they consider it "persecution" against Gómez for being the wife of the head of the state executive. This weekend, however, Peinado has also managed to outrage the police and part of the judiciary with the argument he used to justify the withdrawal of Gómez's passport, a precautionary measure requested by the popular prosecution led by the ultra entity Hazte Oír. The magistrate considered there was a flight risk because her escorts could help her in a possible escape. An argument that angered the police force and also put the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) on alert. So much so that this Monday the permanent commission of this body will study whether to open disciplinary proceedings against Peinado.

The president of the CGPJ, Isabel Perelló, has summoned the members of the body to a meeting this Sunday that began at 10 a.m. and ended shortly before noon. It was held online and just the day after the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, conveyed to Perelló the "most energetic complaint" regarding Peinado's questioning of the police officers' work. Marlaska, in this regard, asked her for the CGPJ to adopt "the measures that may be appropriate in the use of its attributions".

The National Police charges against PeinadoOn the table, the body will also have the complaint sent by Begoña Gómez's lawyer, Antonio Camacho: he considers that her right to defense has been violated because she learned "through the media" of the order in which Peinado opened oral proceedings against Gómez and withdrew her passport. Judges for Democracy, for their part, have also criticized the magistrate because they consider the "suspicions and speculations" he makes to be "inadmissible" and that they "harm the image of a serious judiciary".

The National Police charges against Peinado

Peinado's argument not only angered Marlaska, but also 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 it," they criticized this Saturday in a statement. The SUP union also joined, which described Peinado's statement as "especially worrying": "National police officers do not act outside the law".

To the unions' criticisms, this Sunday the criticisms from the National Police force itself were also added. In a statement, they affirm that "any argumentation that casts suspicion on the work of the agents, suggesting that they could cooperate in the evasion of justice or in the breach of precautionary measures by people 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.

In this regard, they recall that all agents of the police force carry out their functions "under the principles of political neutrality, absolute impartiality and strict adherence to the rule of law". This is why the Police consider that in this way "the fulfillment of orders that are manifestly contrary to the legal system is completely excluded". However, they assure that the "defense of the honesty and integrity of police officers" is not "incompatible with due institutional respect for judicial independence and for all decisions and resolutions issued by the judiciary".

The PSOE sees a "political cause"

Peinado resolved this Saturday the request for precautionary measures that the popular prosecutions had made to him in the preliminary hearing on Monday and also ordered the opening of oral proceedings against Gómez, his advisor Cristina Álvarez, and the businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés. Peinado's decision angered Moncloa, which considered that the ruling demonstrated the judge's "persecution, obsession, and disproportion" against Sánchez's wife.

Several ministers and socialist officials also attacked the magistrate. This Sunday, the Minister of Science, Diana Morant, called the case a "political cause" and once again defended Gómez's innocence. The also leader of the Valencian socialists accused Peinado of "harming justice" with Saturday's ruling.

The PP, for its part, has avoided criticizing Peinado, but it does see it as "logical" that the police force has been annoyed. This was stated by the party's deputy secretary for institutional regeneration, Cuca Gamarra, who also wanted to defend the police work. Gamarra, moreover, has shown "absolute support and respect" for the judges and did not want to comment on the meeting that the CGPJ will have this Monday so as not to exert "any kind of pressure".