Key facts
- Former Spanish transport minister José Luis Ábalos was convicted of corruption by the Supreme Court.
- Ábalos was sentenced to 24 years for rigging public contracts for medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Businessman Victor de Aldama, a key figure in the scheme, received a suspended sentence and fine for cooperation.
- Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's resignation.
- Sánchez's government condemned the corrupt actions and pledged to combat corruption.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is facing increased political pressure following the conviction of his former transport minister, José Luis Ábalos, for corruption. The Supreme Court found Ábalos guilty of rigging public contracts for medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, sentencing him to 24 years in prison for bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling, and membership of a criminal organization. His former adviser, Koldo García, received a 19-year sentence for his involvement.
Businessman Victor de Aldama, who cooperated with prosecutors, was given a suspended four-and-a-half-year sentence and a €3.7 million fine. Aldama alleged that some embezzled profits were funneled to the Socialist Party, though he provided no evidence to support this claim. Transport Minister Óscar Puente criticized the leniency shown to Aldama, suggesting that cooperation could lead to forgiveness.
The ruling exacerbates Sánchez's struggle to distance himself from a series of corruption cases involving close political allies and inner-circle members. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the People's Party demanded Sánchez's resignation, stating the prime minister is politically responsible for the corruption of his ministers. However, Feijóo indicated no no-confidence vote would be attempted due to a lack of parliamentary support.
Despite vows to govern until 2027, parliamentary allies like Gabriel Rufián of the Republican Left of Catalonia have questioned the wisdom of Sánchez remaining in power as his party becomes increasingly associated with corruption. Ábalos was once a close ally of Sánchez, playing a key role in his return to party leadership and later overseeing lucrative public contracts as transport minister.
Sánchez has attempted to distance himself from Ábalos since the latter stepped down in 2021. Following Ábalos's pretrial detention, Sánchez stated he once had political confidence in him but was personally a stranger to him. These statements have done little to alleviate perceptions of corruption, especially after the recent indictment of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for money laundering and other charges, and a raid on the party's headquarters in a separate fraud investigation.
The current ruling concludes the first phase of the case involving Ábalos and García. Separate proceedings are underway concerning alleged rigging of public works contracts involving another former Socialist official, Santos Cerdán. The prime minister's office issued a statement unequivocally regretting and condemning the violations of principles and reaffirming commitment to building an exemplary Spain free of corruption.