June 22, 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's former transport minister, Jose Luis Abalos, was sentenced on Monday to 24 years in prison for a slew of offences involving corruption, the first verdict in a series of court cases linked to the ruling Socialist Party.
The unusually long sentence reflected the accumulation of felonies committed, including kickbacks from facemask purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the damage to public trust caused by a minister of Abalos' rank breaching the rules, according to the Supreme Court's verdict.
"A society that perceives that those in positions of power act guided by private interests, or interests unrelated to public service... experiences a loss of institutional legitimacy, which compromises the stability of the system itself," the verdict read.
Nevertheless, the effective time Abalos will serve is capped under Spanish law at around 16-1/2 years, the court said.
