The trial of the mask case comes to an end, which has brought former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, his former advisor Koldo García, and businessman Víctor de Aldama to the Supreme Court bench. In the reading of his conclusions, the anti-corruption prosecutor presented a “genuine criminal organization with concerted and coordinated action with division of functions” that operated around the Ministry of Transport. Outlining each one’s role, he emphasized that “the number one was not the Prime Minister,” as Aldama alleged without evidence. If there are no unforeseen events, the parties will make their final arguments this Wednesday and the trial will be ready for judgment. The prosecution requests 24 years in prison for Ábalos, 19 and a half for Koldo García, and 7 for Aldama. For the latter, who has pointed to President Pedro Sánchez as the “number 1” of the plot without evidence, the popular accusation led by the PP has decided to reduce its sentence request to just over five years citing his cooperation with justice. A step the party expected the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office to follow, although it has not. The disagreement has unleashed a political war: the Popular Party denounces pressure from the Attorney General’s Office on Anti-Corruption, and the Government accuses them of colluding with Aldama.
EL PAÍS offers the latest news of the trial free of charge. If you want to support our journalism, subscribe.
The prosecutor, about Aldama: the “corruptor,” the one who paid, the “repentant”
The Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor has identified businessman Víctor de Aldama as the “corruptor,” the one who paid, the “repentant” who has wanted to cooperate with justice to see his sentence reduced. He placed him within the framework of the criminal organization that sought to commit crimes for profit during the pandemic. “He made periodic money deliveries,” he said, to benefit when possible.
The prosecutor, about Pedro Sánchez: “The Prime Minister was not number one”
Prosecutor Alejandro Luzón took advantage of his turn during the presentation of his final report to make it clear that Pedro Sánchez did not lead the criminal organization now being tried in the Supreme Court. “The Prime Minister was not number one,” he stated. Thus, he dismantled the argument of businessman Víctor de Aldama, who pointed to the head of government to link him to the plot.
The prosecutor, about Ábalos, Koldo and Aldama: “A true criminal organization”
The Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor began his final report defending that former minister José Luis Ábalos, former advisor Koldo García, and businessman Víctor de Aldama form “a true criminal organization.” According to him, the three carried out a “concerted and coordinated action with division of functions.” Thus, he recalled that Ábalos was “the boss” and that Aldama was the one who paid. However, he stressed that in this case “several actors with different degrees of participation are missing.”
The PSOE complains that the PP lowered Aldama’s sentence request against its criteria
The popular accusation exercised by the PSOE spoke at the start of the session to warn that it considers its right violated following the conclusions presented on Monday by the PP lawyer representing all popular accusations, which were unified by order of the judge in charge of the investigation. “We request that the final conclusions presented not be admitted until they are agreed upon,” stated lawyer Gloria de Pascual.
The president of the court, magistrate Andrés Martínez Arrieta, recalled that the unification of popular accusations was already resolved in the investigation phase. The PSOE tried to present its own conclusions, but the court did not see it fit. Thus, the party requested that its complaint be recorded. “It is recorded,” the court replied.
Session begins: turn of final reports
Session number 14 of the trial begins. If the schedule set by the court is met, it will be the last. This Wednesday, the prosecution and popular accusations (led by the PP), as well as the defenses of former minister José Luis Ábalos, former ministerial advisor Koldo García, and the alleged plot fixer Víctor de Aldama, are expected to present their final reports.
Each will present their theses. The Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s is that the three accused formed a criminal organization in which Ábalos and García received commissions (in cash and in kind) from Aldama in exchange for favoring him with public contracts, especially the Ministry of Transport’s awards for the purchase of masks during the pandemic. The public prosecutor confirmed on Monday’s session its request for 24 years in prison for the former minister, 19 and a half years for his former advisor, and seven years for the businessman. The PP, for its part, ratified its request for 30 years in prison for Ábalos and García. In Aldama’s case, however, it lowered it from seven to five years.
After the accusations, it will be the turn of the defenses. Aldama’s will insist that he has cooperated with justice to seek a sentence reduction that allows him to avoid going to prison. Ábalos and García’s will reiterate their innocence and request acquittal.
‘KOLDO CASE’
Government and PP use Aldama as a political weapon ahead of the end of Ábalos’s first trial
It was never a normal trial. It was unlikely to be because among the main defendants is José Luis Ábalos, a key man in Pedro Sánchez’s inner circle since 2017. But on the last day, already when it is about to close this Wednesday with the parties’ final arguments and the defendants’ last word, the mask case trial became a high-caliber weapon of the two major parties against each other.
You can read the full information here
Good morning. The Supreme Court hosts this Wednesday the fourteenth session and, if its schedule is met, the last of the trial for alleged corruption against former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, his former advisor Koldo García, and the commission agent Víctor de Aldama with the final reports of accusations and defenses. The seven magistrates that make up the court had planned to end the trial on Tuesday, although they finally granted a day to the defenses of the former socialist leader and his former advisor to study the slight changes introduced by the prosecutor in his final conclusions.
Read more United States and Iran each claim dominance over Hormuz
