Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's brother convicted of nepotism

David Sanchez, the brother of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, was convicted on Tuesday of administrative misconduct and banned from holding public office for nine years, over his appointment to a high-ranking cultural post by the provincial government of Badajoz in 2017.

The decision deals a new political blow to the socialist prime minister, whose government and inner circle have faced a series of corruption-related investigations and scandals over the past two years.

Last month, a former close aide to Sanchez was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a separate corruption case.

David Sanchez had been accused of benefiting from an appointment tailored specifically for him due to his family connection to the prime minister, who had dismissed the accusation as part of a politically motivated campaign led by the far right. 

The Badajoz court ruled that the position given to Sanchez was created without any real administrative need, and instead responded to his personal interests.

"The defendants engaged in a grossly arbitrary exercise of power with the sole purpose of favoring certain individuals," the ruling said, adding that one of the positions was later modified to suit David Sanchez's interest in opera.