(Tribune News Service) — A judge postponed the date when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife will testify in court as part of an investigation into her business dealings that’s rocked the country’s politics for months.

Begona Gomez will appear in court to respond to questions on July 19, state-owned news agency EFE reported on Friday. The judge took the decision after Gomez arrived to testify in Madrid on Friday as initially scheduled and argued that she wasn’t informed of the details of a complaint that names her as a suspect, EFE said.

Gomez is the target of an investigation into alleged influence peddling and private-sector corruption. No charges have been filed against her and the government has denied any wrongdoing.

The investigating judge opened the probe following a complaint filed by a pressure group with far-right ties.

The Gomez scandal has set the pace of Spanish politics since April and installed a feeling among top-ranking officials of a government under siege. Premier Sanchez has said the probe is part of a smear campaign by the far-right — including media, politicians, activists and judges — and is eroding Spanish democracy.

Critics say he is playing the victim.

To fight this, Sanchez has pledged to present a plan for “democratic regeneration” in parliament on July 17. For now, the prime minister and his wife have mostly avoided addressing the specific allegations against her, which can be split into two main issues:

•Meetings that Gomez had with the owners of an airline that was rescued by the government during the pandemic and which was also a sponsor of an African development center she ran at a private university.

•Letters that Gomez signed endorsing an entrepreneur who was seeking government subsidies at the same time as he funded a masters program she ran at another university.

The scandal has also had diplomatic ramifications, with Spain withdrawing its ambassador to Buenos Aires after Argentine President Javier Milei accused the prime minister’s wife of corruption during a private visit to Madrid, where he took part in an event organized by Spanish far-right party Vox. Spain has demanded an apology and the withdrawal of its ambassador marks the lowest point in diplomatic relations between the countries in more than 100 years.

The nonprofit organization that made the complaint leading to the investigation is known for filing high-profile complaints involving government officials that rarely result in sentencing. The complaint itself is based mostly on press clippings and the head of the organization said he couldn’t vouch for the accuracy of the news articles.

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