The detained individual's connection to Sánchez dates back to 2017, when the current president was traveling across Spain to regain leadership of the PSOE. During that campaign, Corvillo drove him around Andalusia and participated in activities with his political team. Sánchez himself publicly acknowledged his collaboration during an event held in Córdoba: "Thanks to Teba, to Cristian, to Alfonso…", he expressed while thanking those who had organized the meeting. However, the Spanish Government denies that Corvillo has formally held the position of driver for the president or the party.
The Spanish Civil Guard arrested Cristian Corvillo, who drove Socialist President Pedro Sánchez during the PSOE primaries in 2017, in a new judicial operation linked to the Koldo case, the investigation into an alleged corruption scheme involving former officials and the supposed receipt of illegal commissions in exchange for public contracts.
The operation, carried out on Thursday, November 5, by the Central Operational Unit (UCO), resulted in six arrests, including Andrea de la Torre, partner of former Socialist Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos. The agents conducted searches in Córdoba, Seville, Valencia, and Madrid, in addition to requesting documentation from the public railway company Adif. The six arrested were subsequently released while the judicial investigation continues.
The socialist Pedro Sánchez with his former driver Cristian Corvillo
The actions were ordered by Judge Ismael Moreno of the National Court, who opened a new separate case to investigate possible irregularities in public works contracts. In Corvillo's case, investigators are examining his alleged role as an intermediary in contracts related to railway facilities and cleaning services, as well as his contacts with individuals involved in the scheme.
His name also appears in conversations extracted from the phones of Ábalos, his former advisor Koldo García, and businessman Víctor de Aldama, key figures in the investigations into alleged irregularities at the Ministry of Transport. A report from the Civil Guard links him to efforts to acquire a luxury chalet in Cádiz associated with Ábalos. Additionally, documentation found at Aldama's home includes a note with the name "Cristian" alongside the figure of 100,000, the meaning of which is under investigation.
José Luis Ábalos received 24 years in prison for corruption
The arrest has once again put the president's ties to former collaborators of his party under scrutiny. Recently consulted by the newspaper El País about the individuals involved in the scandals, Sánchez attempted to distance himself from them and stated: "None of these people have anything to do with me. None."
However, photographs, publications, and audiovisual records from the 2017 campaign document the political relationship that existed between Socialist Sánchez and Corvillo. The new judicial developments expand the scope of the Koldo case and politically compromise the PSOE again, while the Justice system seeks to determine individual responsibilities in the alleged corruption maneuvers.
