In a ruling that shakes the foundations of the Spanish government, the Supreme Court on Monday sentenced former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years and three months in prison for corruption. The verdict found Ábalos guilty of criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, and influence peddling. However, the court established that the former official will only serve a maximum of 16 and a half years in prison.
The case, dubbed the ‘Koldo case,’ originated from the purchase of face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ábalos, who was a key figure in President Pedro Sánchez’s rise to power, now faces justice for a network involving his former advisor Koldo García and businessman Víctor de Aldama. García was sentenced to 19 years and eight months in prison, while Aldama received a four-and-a-half-year sentence, although the court exempted him from prison if he meets certain requirements, such as not reoffending and performing community service.
The trial, which consisted of 14 sessions and included testimony from more than 70 people, involved public officials, businessmen, experts, and civil guards. Ábalos received the sentence via video call from the Soto del Real prison in Madrid, where he has been in pretrial detention since November 27. The defenses of the accused requested acquittal, citing lack of evidence, while Aldama’s defense sought a reduced sentence for his cooperation.
The scandal has not only put Sánchez’s government in jeopardy but has also tarnished his wife, Begoña Gómez, who faces a corruption investigation. Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered that Gómez be tried and imposed precautionary measures, such as retaining her passport to prevent her from leaving the country. The first lady’s case revolves around the creation of a chair at the Complutense University of Madrid, where she is suspected of using public resources and personal contacts to promote private interests.
Additionally, in the past month, an investigation for alleged influence peddling was added against former President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, an emblematic figure of the Spanish left and very close to Sánchez. The situation is critical for the president, whose minority government threatens to collapse amid the wave of judicial scandals hitting his family and inner circle.
Meanwhile, the ‘Koldo case’ has already ended the career of Koldo García, who was the first secretary of Organization of the PSOE, and also that of his successor, Santos Cerdán. The sentence against Ábalos reveals a corruption network operating in the highest spheres of Spanish power, generating outrage and demands for transparency among the citizenry.
para mi esto es pura cortina de humo pa tapar que la derecha nunca condeno ni una mierda abalos es chivo expiatorio del capital 24 años por barbijos mientras los ricos se rien impunes libertad pa los presos politicos yeyo
para mi este abalos chorro se manda la mas grande y le dan 24 años pero la izquierda toda llorando por el pobrecito a la carcel con toda la banda del psoe el kirchnerismo argentino los mira con envidia basura socialista a pudrirse en cana firmado el gaucho maldito