Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday sentenced former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos to 24 years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple corruption offences, including criminal organisation, bribery, embezzlement and influence peddling. The convictions stem from a scheme involving the manipulation of public contracts for medical supplies, including face masks, during the COVID-19 pandemic while Abalos was serving in government. His former aide, Koldo Garcia, was also convicted and handed a 19-year prison sentence.
The court found that the corruption network benefited from irregular procurement deals carried out during the health emergency. Businessman Victor de Aldama received a four-and-a-half-year sentence, but the prison term was suspended due to his cooperation with investigators. The court imposed conditions including community service, biannual activity reports and a requirement that he refrain from further offences.
The ruling is the first verdict in a series of corruption investigations involving figures linked to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s ruling Socialist Party. The cases have increased political pressure on Sanchez, whose rise to power in 2018 was built on promises to combat corruption after the fall of a scandal-hit conservative government. While several individuals close to the administration are under investigation, Sanchez has not been accused of wrongdoing and maintains that the allegations are part of a politically motivated campaign against him.
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