Spanish ex-minister Ábalos sentenced to over 24 years in corruption case

Spain's Supreme Court has sentenced former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years and three months in prison for his involvement in a corruption scheme linked to the procurement of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. His former aide Koldo García received 19 years and eight months, while businessman Víctor de Aldama was sentenced to four years and six months.

The court found all three guilty of belonging to a criminal organization, bribery, misappropriation of public funds, and influence peddling. The scheme aimed to illicitly profit from public procurement contracts. Specifically, it involved contracts for the supply of 13 million face masks to state-owned companies Puertos del Estado and Adif, awarded to a company linked to de Aldama during the peak of the pandemic.

Ábalos was found to have received monthly payments of €10,000, coverage of housing expenses for a close associate, and jobs for two women connected to him in state companies under the Transport Ministry. The ruling also mentions real estate transactions in several Spanish cities.

The case also covers other business interests, including the government-backed bailout of airline Air Europa and the granting of a hydrocarbon license. The court noted these were part of a broader system of influence peddling where public office was used for private gain.

The verdict is a significant political blow to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, although he is not charged in the case. Ábalos was once one of the most influential politicians in the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). The conviction is likely to increase opposition pressure on Sánchez's government, especially amid other ongoing corruption investigations involving socialist circles.