Madrid, Jun 22 (EFE).- The 24-year and three-month prison sentence handed down by Spain’s Supreme Court to José Luis Ábalos, former Minister of Transportation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government, shook Spain’s turbulent political scene on Monday, sparking calls for elections and a purge within the Socialist Party.
Ábalos, who also served as secretary-general of the Socialist Party under Pedro Sánchez’s leadership and has been in pretrial detention since late 2025, was not the only one convicted in the case involving kickbacks on public contracts for face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Koldo García, a former advisor to the former Minister of Transportation, was sentenced to 19 years and eight months in prison.
The middleman Víctor de Aldama, who, according to the court, provided “truthful and relevant” information during the investigation, received a four-and-a-half-year sentence that was suspended on the condition that he does not reoffend, submits a semi-annual activity report, and completes one year of community service.
Resignation, Elections, and “Disappointment”
