Let’s imagine that you are an unaffiliated citizen. That you are neither one side nor the other and you face the sentence condemning the brother of the Prime Minister for malfeasance. And you hear how some (those in power) say that the ruling is a “barbarity,” that an innocent person is condemned without evidence and that it sets a “very dangerous precedent for our democracy.” And you hear how the others (the opposition) consider that yesterday was a “historic day” and that the sentence “would bring down a government” in any other country. It’s enough to make you want to run away. Each side tries to impose its narrative and that is why yesterday social networks were a hotbed of accusations, insults, and disqualifications.
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Let’s see if we can summarize the facts. The first news about the hiring of David Sánchez by the Badajoz Provincial Council appeared in digital media such as Ok Diario and El Debate . From there, Manos Limpias filed a complaint in a court in Badajoz. During the investigation, PP, Vox, Hazte Oír, and Christian Lawyers, among others, appeared as private prosecutors. The accusations focused on the fact that David Sánchez resided in Portugal, did not attend his workplace, and that his hiring was irregular. The shadow of his brother made it seem like a clear case of influence peddling.
However, the sentence states that “it has not been proven” that certain people “exerted pressure on the accused,” so all are acquitted of the crime of influence peddling. That said, it considers that the position created was neither urgent nor necessary and therefore accuses the Prime Minister’s brother of administrative malfeasance. It is a controversial argument and one that probably would never have reached a court if the person affected were not related to who he is. How many questionable positions have been created in public bodies in Spain in recent years?
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But, just as Caesar’s wife must not only be honest but also appear to be, the brother of a candidate for secretary general and prime minister must be very cautious with his professional activity, although when he took office, Sánchez had not yet reached Moncloa. Aside from that, you will draw your own conclusions about how and who initiated the investigation.
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