Former minister sentenced to 24 years in prison for corruption. Sánchez under pressure

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is under pressure after his former Transport Minister, José Luis Ábalos, was sentenced this Monday to 24 years in prison for corruption.

The Spanish Supreme Court the former Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos guilty of tainting public contracts for masks and other medical materials in exchange for gloves, at the height of the covid-19 pandemic.

Ábalos was sentenced to 24 years in prison for bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling and belonging to a criminal organization, while his former advisor, Koldo Garciareceived a sentence of 19 years in prison for the role played in the scheme.

The businessman Victor de Aldama received a suspended sentence of four and a half years in prison and a fine of 3.7 million euros, after cooperating with prosecutors and providing essential documents detailing the inner workings of the corruption scheme.

Aldama also claimed that part of the profits he helped divert had been channeled to the Socialist Partybut did not present evidence to support these accusations.

The current Minister of Transport, Oscar Puentecriticized the lenient sentence applied to Aldama and said that society should take note of the decision.

“Look, kids: if you commit crimesbut then behave well and ‘cooperate’, forgiveness will come“, in a post on social network X. “They won’t even go to prison.”

The decision makes increase pressure on Pedro Sánchezwho appointed Ábalos to top positions in both the ruling Socialist Party and his first two governments.

The Spanish leaderl tries to distance itself from the multiplicity of corruption cases that involve close political allies, family members and other members of your inner circle, says .

Shortly after the court ruling was announced, Alberto Núñez Feijóopresident of the center-right Popular Party and leader of the opposition, demanded dismissal of Sanchez.

“The Prime Minister is politically responsible for the corruption of his ministers in office”, he stated. “His most trusted advisor, guardian and hand man of the Sánchez regimewas condemned.”

However, Feijóo said that will not present a motion of censure against Sánchez in the Spanish Parliament, as it was unlikely that a majority of deputies would support the initiative.

The Prime Minister promised to govern until 2027when the current legislature ends. But, this Monday, parliamentary allies like Gabriel Rufianfrom the Republican Left of Catalonia, questioned if it made sense Sánchez clinging to power as his party is increasingly associated with corruption.

“What’s the point of resisting just for the sake of resisting?“, Rufián on social network X. “Governing is legislating, not resisting”.

A prime minister under fire

The Spanish Prime Minister even considered Ábalos one of his closest allies.

After the old guard of the Socialist Party had forced Sánchez to resign in 2016, Ábalos remained a staunch supporter and accompanied the ousted politician on a grassroots campaign to regain control of the party.

When Sánchez was re-elected leader of the socialists the following year, Ábalos was promoted to a top position in the party and tasked with delivering a key speech against corruption, which ended the successful motion of censure that ousted then-prime minister Mariano Rajoy in 2018.

Upon returning to power, Sánchez handed Ábalos the Development portfolio and Transport — a key position, responsible for many of the country’s most lucrative public contracts.

According to the court’s decision, Ábalos embezzled funds to rent or buy multiple properties and to cover other personal expenses while holding the position.

Sánchez has sought to distance himself from Ábalos since 2021, when the former minister left his role both in the Government and in the party leadership.

After Ábalos was in preventive detention earlier this year, Sánchez stated that, although he had “political trust” in his former ally, “from a personal point of view, he was a complete stranger” to himself.

These statements did little to reduce the perception of corruption in the ruling party in Spain and in the prime minister’s close circle, particularly after last month’s prosecution of former socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, another Sánchez ally, for money laundering, influence peddling and other crimes.

During a hearing last week, Zapatero denied any wrongdoing and promised to “give the necessary explanations” to prove his “decency and honesty”.

Monday’s decision completes the first part of a process broader one that involves Ábalos and García. Spain’s National Audience is conducting separate proceedings relating to the alleged tampering of public works contracts in exchange for bribes, which involve another former senior socialist official, Santos Cerdán.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s office stated that the Government “regrets and unequivocal condemnation behaviors that clearly violated these principles” and remains “committed to continuing to work to build a Exemplary Spain, where corruption is not applauded nor tolerated.”