The Spanish Supreme Court ordered this Wednesday the entry into provisional detention and without bail of the socialist deputy José Luis Ábalos and his former advisor Koldo García, both under investigation for their alleged participation in a criminal network dedicated to manipulating public contracts.
The measure is adopted in light of what the judiciary considers an "extreme flight risk," on the eve of the trial for a scheme that dates back to the purchase of masks during the pandemic. The charges include undue influence, rigged awards, cash payments, and personal favors, in addition to being linked to the audio scandal involving prostitutes allegedly paid with public funds.
The investigating magistrate of the so-called Koldo case, Leopoldo López, based the decision on the assertion that the evidence of serious crimes, with requested sentences that could reach up to 30 years in prison, makes the precautionary measures previously imposed on both insufficient. The seriousness of the facts and the progress of the judicial process, according to the Court, require preventing any possibility of concealment or flight.
José Luis Ábalos y Koldo García.
Ábalos, who was Minister of Transport and a prominent figure within PSOE, arrived at the court in an evident state of tension. Before journalists, he insisted that he poses no danger to the judiciary. "I have no money or anywhere to go," he stated, attempting to reject any suggestion of evasion.
Meanwhile, Koldo García maintained a similar line in his statement. Accompanied by his lawyer, Leticia de la Hoz, he emphasized his family ties and categorically denied any intention to flee. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared, also acknowledging having made "mistakes" in the context of the case. Despite these statements, the judge considered that both the context of the case and the evidence gathered justify immediate provisional detention.
José Luis Ábalos y Koldo García.
During the hearing concerning Ábalos, the prosecutor was especially forceful. He emphasized that the position of the former socialist minister within the Government would have facilitated the commission of the investigated crimes, but he underscored a central principle of the rule of law: "No branch of the State has the right to evade criminal prosecution."
The progress of the case, which combines corruption offenses, influence peddling, and misuse of public funds in the midst of a health emergency, opens a new chapter of political tension in Spain and leaves PSOE under President Pedro Sánchez facing a scenario of severe institutional strain.
