Spain’s former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, a former heavyweight within the Spanish Socialist Party and former right-hand man of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, was sentenced on Monday to 24 years and three months in prison for corruption. The Supreme Court in Madrid announced this on Monday. Ábalos’ former advisor Koldo García was sentenced to 19 years in prison in the same case.
Source: BELGA
The case came to light in February 2024 upon García’s arrest. A scam has been exposed through which a small company secured contracts worth 53 million euros for the supply of face masks to various government agencies during the corona pandemic. These contracts yielded illegal commissions of several million euros, as well as the payment of family vacations, favors for Ábalos’ mistresses and even the payment of prostitutes.
Justice soon fell to Ábalos, who was not only a minister, but also secretary of the Socialist Party, a key position that made him Pedro Sánchez’s confidant. The case, known as the “Koldo affair”, has since developed on several fronts, including suspicion of malpractice within the Socialist Party. There are several other processes underway.
Ábalos and García were convicted of “membership of a criminal organization, corruption, embezzlement of public funds and influence peddling,” the Supreme Court said. The two men were already in custody.
Businessman Víctor de Aldama was also tried in this case, who was sentenced to four years in prison. However, that sentence is suspended due to his cooperation with the investigation. Together with Ábalos and García, the Aldama formed “a criminal organization with a division of tasks that committed serious corruption crimes,” the court ruled.
Legal problems with various members of Sánchez’s entourage are also causing the prime minister more and more trouble. He himself has always denied that he was aware of the activities of the now convicted trio.
