Supreme Court imposes harsh sentences on Ábalos and Koldo over mask scandal
The high court upholds sentences of 24 years for the former minister and nearly 20 for his former adviser in the corruption case related to sanitary material contracts during the pandemic.
Supreme Court imposes harsh sentences on Ábalos and Koldo over mask scandal
The Supreme Court has concluded the first judicial proceeding in the Koldo case with a ruling that establishes unequal prison sentences for the three defendants, depending on their level of participation in the facts and their cooperation with the investigation.
The verdict sentences former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison. His former adviser Koldo García receives a sentence of 19 years and eight months in custody. Businessman Víctor de Aldama, for his part, will not serve an effective prison sentence, according to EL PAÍS.
The judges consider it proven that contracts worth 13 million euros in masks were awarded to a company linked to Aldama. They also certify the recurring payment of 10,000 euros monthly to Ábalos and the lease of a property on Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid with a right to purchase at a price far below market value: 750,000 euros when the official valuation was 1,442,914 euros.
The sentence also includes the simulation of labour contracts in public entities for two women in the former minister's circle. One of them received wages for two years without providing any service.
The difference between the sentences imposed is due to the different degree of responsibility of each person involved and their attitude towards justice.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)