The Government and the PSOE followed with deep indignation a decisive day in the trial of the mask case at the Supreme Court. For four hours, the main confessed corrupter in the case, Víctor de Aldama, not only pointed to the two main defendants, José Luis Ábalos and Koldo García, but also tried to implicate the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and suggest illegal financing of the PSOE at all times.
Sánchez is not summoned even as a witness in the case and the main party of the Government is not currently under investigation for illegal financing either. But Aldama tried again and again to support those two ideas and a notable anger settled in the Government and the PSOE not only with the middleman but also with the prosecutor of the case, Alejandro Luzón, and with the court itself, for allowing Aldama to launch these accusations for almost four hours that are not being judged in this case and which, according to the socialists, are “lies” launched with political interest to harm Sánchez. The socialists insist that Aldama has the right to lie before the court, because he is in the capacity of a defendant, not a witness, and they give no credibility to his words.
“Last week we saw how in the Kitchen case the court did not allow the PSOE’s private prosecution to ask almost anything to Mariano Rajoy, the president cut off the questions arguing that they were not related to the investigated cause, and here nothing similar has been done, it is outrageous,” said a leader. “There is no illegal financing in the PSOE, only Aldama’s lies exist,” the socialists pointed out in an official party statement.
Aldama directly pointed to Sánchez. “If there is a hierarchy, and I am obviously in the organized, criminal gang, the Mr. President is at level one; Mr. Ábalos, at level two; Mr. Koldo García, at three, and I, at four,” said the middleman in the Supreme Court. When asked how he knew about Sánchez’s involvement, he claimed that Koldo had implied to him that they had a very close relationship and he knew everything. “He has not offered a single piece of evidence of anything, the most he has said is that Koldo told him Sánchez knew. And thanks to that this gentleman got out of prison because according to the prosecution he was willing to provide definitive evidence? It’s incredible!” another Government member was outraged.
All consulted members of the Executive lash out against Aldama, but trust that his accusations will lead nowhere and will not have more political cost beyond what this case has already meant, which was really close to toppling the Government, especially after the imprisonment of Santos Cerdán. “We already know there are three scoundrels here, Ábalos, Cerdán, and Koldo, but no real evidence of illegal financing or involvement of the president has come out. Everything is Aldama’s words without any proof. It’s horrible, but it leads nowhere,” says another member of the Executive.
All eyes are on the prosecution because it was the one that made a deal with Aldama to provide evidence of this case in exchange for his release from prison, where he was for his involvement in another scandal, a fraud of more than 200 million euros with hydrocarbons. “Aldama has appeared on all the shows saying he had definitive evidence against the Prime Minister and the PSOE leadership. And when he appears before the Supreme Court he is only capable of launching insults and gossip. It’s clear he is a liar. Sánchez’s ‘what a made-up story’ makes more and more sense,” says another member of the Executive referring to Sánchez’s first words in November 2024, when Aldama launched the first accusations against him. Sánchez then said of Aldama that “his defense strategy is lying” and that remains the official line in the PSOE when talking about the middleman.
“We are facing a known strategy in his right of defense. Deception is his main tool, pointing without evidence and generating noise where there are no crimes,” states the party’s official note in response to Aldama’s statement. The PSOE also announces that it will again request protection from the Supreme Court to act against these “insults.” “We will do it again. We will not allow ourselves to be defamed with impunity. There is no illegal financing in the PSOE, only Aldama’s lies exist,” the socialists conclude, offering full cooperation with justice to resolve any doubts raised by these accusations. “The PSOE has acted with zero tolerance. Hopefully all parties would do the same, the PSOE is firm. We do not accept lessons from those who have had B envelopes, bonuses, or final corruption sentences,” the text ends.
