MADRID, July 14, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A Spanish court on Tuesday banned the 
brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez from holding public office for nine 
years after convicting him of helping secure a public-sector job tailored for 
him.

A court in the western Extremadura region convicted David Sanchez of 
administrative misconduct but cleared him of influence peddling, which could 
have resulted in a prison sentence.

In its ruling, the court said he was an accomplice in the unlawful creation 
of the position and imposed a nine-year ban on holding public office and 
exercising voting rights.

The court found that the position of coordinator of music conservatories in 
the province of Badajoz was "neither necessary nor urgent" and had been 
created "to serve the private interest of its recipient and not the public 
interest."

"Such unethical practices harm democratic institutions and foster corruption 
and unequal opportunities," the court wrote in the ruling.

David Sanchez, a composer and orchestra director whose career has trained and 
worked in Saint Petersburg, Toulouse, Tokyo and Madrid, was tried with 10 
other defendants.

He was accused of profiting from the creation of a tailor-made position as 
coordinator of music conservatories in Badajoz, a role later transformed into 
the head of the southwestern province's performing arts office.

Prosecutors say the position was created in 2016, before Pedro Sanchez became 
prime minister in 2018. David Sanchez remained in the post until at least 
early 2025.

The job was under the authority of the provincial council of Badajoz, which 
at the time was governed by Sanchez's Socialist Party.

"We have confidence in the justice system and that higher courts will confirm 
David Sanchez's innocence, which is what we believe," government spokeswoman 
Elma Saiz told a news conference.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the case was part of a broader effort to 
bring down the government "because of the inability to do so at the ballot 
box."

The case originated with a complaint by Manos Limpias, a self-styled anti-
corruption group with far-right links.

It adds to a series of corruption-related investigations involving figures 
close to Pedro Sanchez that have raised doubts about the viability of his 
minority left-wing coalition.

His former right-hand man Jose Luis Abalos was sentenced to 24 years in 
prison for corruption last month.

Pedro Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, is under investigation over alleged 
influence peddling.

Former Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodr­guez Zapatero, an ally of 
Sanchez, was also placed under investigation over alleged influence peddling 
linked to kickbacks.