Prosecutors call for acquittal after corruption case places fresh pressure on Spain’s socialist-led government.
The trial of David Sánchez, brother of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, concluded on Tuesday in Badajoz, with the court now expected to deliver its ruling at a later date.
The case has drawn national attention as Spain’s socialist-led coalition government faces mounting political pressure over a series of corruption-linked investigations involving figures close to the prime minister.
David Sánchez is accused of having benefited from the creation of a public-sector post allegedly tailored to his profile. The role was first established as coordinator of music conservatories in the province of Badajoz, in Extremadura, before later becoming linked to the leadership of the provincial performing arts office.
He has been on trial alongside 10 other defendants since 28 May. The charges include alleged influence peddling and abuse of office. All the defendants deny any wrongdoing.
On the final day of the hearing, prosecutors told the court that the evidence presented had failed to prove any criminal offence. They requested that David Sánchez be acquitted.
Sánchez, a composer and orchestra conductor whose career has included training and professional work in Saint Petersburg, Toulouse, Tokyo and Madrid, declined to address the court before proceedings were brought to a close.
According to the prosecution, the position at the heart of the case was created in 2016, two years before Pedro Sánchez became prime minister. David Sánchez is alleged to have held the role until at least early 2025.
The post came under the authority of the Badajoz provincial council, which at the time was governed by the Socialist Party, the PSOE.
Earlier in the trial, judges dismissed a separate allegation that David Sánchez had improperly accepted the appointment in 2017. The court ruled that the legal time limit for pursuing that specific accusation had expired.
The case forms part of a wider political storm surrounding Pedro Sánchez’s administration, with separate investigations involving members of his family and former senior figures in the Socialist Party intensifying scrutiny of the government.
The latest high-profile name to come under examination is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Sánchez’s political mentor and former Spanish prime minister, who is facing a formal investigation over alleged influence peddling and other suspected offences.
For now, the proceedings against David Sánchez have been adjourned pending judgment, leaving the prime minister’s opponents waiting to see whether the case will deepen the political pressure on his already fragile minority government.
