Spain's judicial watchdog said Monday it has opened disciplinary proceedings against the judge investigating Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife for graft, a case putting pressure on his minority government.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado on Saturday ordered Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, to stand trial after a two-year investigation and banned her from leaving the country, deeming her a flight risk.
Peinado rejected the argument that officers assigned to Gómez's security detail would prevent her from fleeing, saying they could help her escape, "either on their own initiative or following orders from their superiors".
The comments prompted a rare public rebuke from Spain's national police force, which in a statement called the judge's reasoning "unjustified" and stressed its political neutrality.
Spain's judicial watchdog, the CGPJ, said Monday Peinado's statements could amount to a serious disciplinary offence.
