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Friday's hearing in Madrid is part of a preliminary
investigation into whether Gomez used her position as the
premier's wife to secure sponsors for a university master's
degree course that she ran.
"Our position is ... that this process is totally groundless,"
her lawyer and former Interior Minister Antonio Camacho told
reporters after Gomez had left the tribunal.
"My client has not testified not because she has something to
hide, but because her attorney recommended her to do so."
Gomez was allowed to enter and leave the courthouse through the
underground parking, avoiding dozens of reporters outside.
She has not commented publicly on the case, but Sanchez has
vehemently denied the accusations against her, saying they were
baseless and orchestrated by right-wing political foes.
In late April, Sanchez took a five-day break from his duties to
weigh whether to resign after the court opened the
investigation, but ultimately decided to stay on.
The case was brought through a unique Spanish legal instrument,
the "people's accusation", which allows private individuals to
bring criminal complaints against third parties. Judges can
choose whether or not to act, and not every accusation has led
to a judicial investigation.
The complaint against Gomez was filed by Manos Limpias (Clean
Hands), an anti-corruption activist group led by Miguel Bernad,
a lawyer and politician who has stood as a candidate for a
far-right party in European elections.
Another far-right party, Vox, also joined the plaintiff and its
lawyer, European lawmaker Jorge Buxade, told reporters he will
ask the investigating magistrate to call Sanchez to testify.
The investigation seeks to evaluate Gomez's conduct since
Sanchez became prime minister in 2018, the court said.
Contracts related to European Union funds will be probed
separately by the European Prosecutor.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Emma Pinedo and Guillermo Martinez;
Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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