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José Luis Ábalos, a former Spanish minister and close ally of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been sentenced to 24 years and three months in prison for corruption, marking the longest prison term ever imposed on a Spanish ex-minister Source: El Confidencial. The unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court also convicted his former aide Koldo García to 19 years and eight months, and businessman Víctor de Aldama to four and a half years, with the latter's sentence suspended for cooperation Source: El Caribe.
The court found that Ábalos, García, and Aldama formed a criminal organization to profit from the purchase of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contracts worth €36.7 million were awarded to Aldama's company, Soluciones de Gestión, with Aldama paying monthly bribes of €10,000 and other perks to Ábalos, including an apartment for his lover Source: La Vanguardia. The court stated that the corruption caused "incalculable" damage to public trust Source: Excélsior.
Ábalos denied the charges and accused the opposition of politicizing the case Source: Milenio. The leader of the conservative opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, called for Sánchez's resignation, arguing the president bears political responsibility for his minister's crimes Source: Excélsior.
“Ayer fue declarado culpable de seis delitos a la pena de 24 años y tres meses de prisión, aunque sólo deberá cumplir 16 años.”
“Los 24 años y tres meses de prisión a los que se ha condenado a Ábalos suponen más del doble que los años de cárcel que se sentenciaron para el segundo en el ranking de ministros con mayores penas carcelarias, Eduardo Zaplana.”
“al tercer acusado, el comisionista Víctor de Aldama -que confesó el pago de mordidas- le condenan a 4 años y medio pero le suspenden la pena.”
“Ábalos denunció durante el juicio un intento de 'politizar' el caso y cargó contra la oposición conservadora.”
Sánchez to Face Congress Amid Corruption Cases and Ábalos Conviction