Spain's Supreme Court Sentences José Luis Ábalos to 24 Years in Covid-19 Graft Case
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 22
Spain's Supreme Court Sentences José Luis Ábalos to 24 Years in Covid-19 Graft Case
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 22
Summary
José Luis Ábalos, a former transport minister and once Pedro Sánchez’s close ally, received a 24-year prison sentence from Spain’s Supreme Court over pandemic-era procurement corruption.
The court convicted Ábalos of conspiracy, bribery, embezzlement and influence peddling in a scheme tied to emergency contracts for medical supplies during Covid-19.
Koldo García, a senior adviser to Ábalos at the ministry, was also sentenced, receiving 19 years for his role in the same case.
The ruling hits a former No. 2 official in Spain’s Socialist Party, turning a Covid-19 contracting scandal into a major legal blow for figures once close to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.