Spain’s Supreme Court has sentenced José Luis Ábalos, the former transport minister and one-time senior figure in the Socialist party (PSOE), to 24 years in prison for corruption.
The case
The case centres on contracts for face masks and other medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the government needed to buy large quantities of protective equipment quickly. Investigators found that Ábalos, his adviser Koldo García and the businessman Víctor de Aldama worked together to steer contracts towards companies connected to Aldama.
The verdict
The seven judges of the Supreme Court’s criminal chamber reached a unanimous decision. They found that the three men formed a criminal organisation in which:
- Ábalos used his position to favour certain companies;
- García acted as intermediary, arranging payments and favours;
- Aldama’s business interests benefited from the contracts.
The sentences
| Defendant | Sentence |
|---|---|
| José Luis Ábalos | 24 years |
| Koldo García | 19 years |
| Víctor de Aldama | 4.5 years, suspended |
Ábalos was convicted of criminal organisation, bribery, embezzlement and influence peddling. García was convicted of the same offences.
Why Aldama’s sentence was suspended
Aldama cooperated with investigators, giving a detailed confession and providing evidence the court considered important. That cooperation earned him a substantial reduction. His sentence is suspended on condition that he commits no further offences, reports on his activities every six months and carries out a year of community service.
What the court found
According to the ruling, Ábalos received benefits in exchange for his help, including regular monthly payments, the rent on a flat used by someone close to him and jobs in public companies under the transport ministry for people connected to him. The court also examined rent-to-buy arrangements for properties in Madrid, Marbella and La Línea de la Concepción.
The political impact
The case has been one of the most damaging for Pedro Sánchez’s government. Ábalos was one of the prime minister’s closest allies before he was dismissed from the cabinet in 2021, and he was expelled from the PSOE’s parliamentary group after the investigation became public. The opposition has used the case to attack the government over corruption, while the PSOE says it acted as soon as it learned of the allegations.
