The trial of Abalos, Koldo Garcia and Aldama for alleged fraud in the purchase of masks is under way
The Public Prosecutor's Office requests 24 years' imprisonment for the former minister, 19 years for Garcia and 7 years for Aldama, and more than 70 witnesses will appear before the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court began the trial of former Minister José Luis Ábalos, his former adviser Koldo García and businessman Victor de Aldama for alleged irregularities in the masks contracts awarded by the Ministry of Transport during the pandemic. The Public Prosecutor's Office requests 24 years' imprisonment for Ábalos, 19 and a half years for Koldo and 7 years for Aldama.
At the moment, Abalos and Koldo have been in pre-trial detention since they were imprisoned on 27 November last year, both of whom pleaded not guilty and denied having committed any crime.
The prosecution's thesis.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, Alejandro Luzun, believes that all three agreed to use the position of Minister to obtain administrative contracts with financial benefits in return. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, they acted with the intention of enriching themselves, and the entrepreneur directed companies of his interest to these engagements.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office also maintains that they were supported by other officials and officials of the Ministry of Transport, persons of the business network around Aldama and relatives of Koldo. According to the prosecutor's office, the network intended to remain in time and operated for a few years, and began to weaken in July 2021, when Ábalos and Koldo left the ministry.
The Public Prosecutor's Office charges Ábalos and Koldo with the offences of belonging to a criminal organization, bribery, use of insider trading, influence trafficking and embezzlement of public money, and requests a fine of €3.8 million.
Popular accusation
On the other hand, the popular charges led by the Partido Popular have requested 30 years' imprisonment for Ábalos and Koldo and the same one requested by the prosecutor for Aldama.
The trial will be held in the Chamber of the Supreme Court at 13 sessions, and more than 70 witnesses will be brought before the judge between 7 and 30 April.
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