Spanish PM benefited from father-in-law's ‘gay brothels', claims opponent
Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the leader of the opposition People's Party (PP), made the claims during a heated debate in parliament, which even in the feisty world of Spanish politics were seen as overstepping the mark.
'Excuse me, who do you live with? What brothels have you been making a living from?' Mr Feijoo asked, calling Mr Sanchez a 'financial participant in the abominable business of prostitution'.
The comments were made in response to Mr Sanchez making an oft-repeated jibe that Mr Feijoo was once friends with a convicted drug trafficker.
Mr Feijoo hit back by alleging that the prime minister had personally benefited from prostitution, a reference to the business interests of the father of his wife, Begona Gomez.
Mr Sanchez did not respond to the accusation, which came amid an avalanche of scandals and assaults on his reputation.
Wednesday's debate focused on recent corruption allegations against several officials from the prime minister's Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), including his former transport minister and the party's secretary, who resigned last month and has since been remanded in custody.
PP sources defended Mr Feijoo's attack, claiming there was an underlying ethical issue to the claims, given that Mr Sanchez and his wife had lived in an apartment they say was paid for by the prime minister's father-in-law, Sabiniano Gomez.
Mr Gomez, who died last year, owned several saunas in the Madrid area, which were widely reported to have been used as meeting places for gay men to have sexual encounters. He was also accused of running brothels, which are illegal in Spain.
On Thursday, the PP doubled down on its claims of corruption concerning Ms Gomez's family, demanding details of the alleged letting of publicly-owned apartments to the late Mr Gomez – flats it claims may have been used for prostitution.
Neither the government nor the PSOE wished to comment on the claims, which threaten to bring down the party.
Ms Gomez is facing an ongoing judicial investigation into allegations that she abused her connection to her husband, Mr Sanchez, to advance her academic career and grant favours to business associates.
Besides the allegations against former PSOE officials who are being investigated for allegedly fixing public contracts and charging companies for favours, a recording in which two of the suspects casually discussed hiring prostitutes has provided additional embarrassment to the country's Left-wing government.
Mr Sanchez has apologised for 'trusting in people who did not deserve it' and for the offence to women caused by the expelled former minister Jose Luis Abalos's predilection for prostitutes.
However, the prime minister has ignored calls from the opposition to resign and call elections, instead unveiling an anti-corruption package and reiterating the PSOE's will to abolish prostitution.
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