Spanish premier’s brother banned from public office for 9 years over misconduct

A Spanish court on Tuesday banned the brother of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez from holding public office for nine years after convicting him of administrative misconduct.

David Sanchez was banned from holding public office over his previous appointment to a senior cultural position by the provincial government of Badajoz.

The ruling is the latest development in a series of corruption-related investigations that have put pressure on Sanchez's government and inner circle.

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

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