In the ninth session of the Supreme Court trial against José Luis Ábalos and Koldo García, Transport Ministry experts defended their audit on mask contracts awarded to Soluciones de Gestión. The auditors highlighted irregularities such as the order doubling in 38 minutes without justification and Koldo García's active role. In the afternoon, experts confirmed the authenticity of audios seized from García.
The four Transport Ministry inspectors, tasked by Minister Óscar Puente, appeared in Spain's Supreme Court to explain their audit on pandemic-era mask contracts. They reviewed over 6,000 emails and 1,900 files, concluding that Soluciones de Gestión, linked to Víctor de Aldama, prepared its bid before the ministerial order was published on March 21, 2020. "It is evident that someone was communicating with the company," stated auditors Sara Anguita and Belén Roel.
They highlighted the "active role" of Koldo García, Ábalos's advisor, who brought the bid to the table above the chief of staff. The order doubled from four to eight million masks in 38 minutes after an email to Aldama, with no documentary trace of the decision. "Objectively, no one tells us why that change occurred," they insisted amid defense challenges.
Ábalos's defense counter-expert questioned the report's objectivity due to "biases" and lack of transparency. The auditors defended their methodology, limited to internal ministry staff.
In the afternoon session, Guardia Civil experts affirmed that audios seized from Koldo García are "totally intact" without manipulation. Experts hired by Santos Cerdán's defense questioned the chain of custody. Prosecutor Alejandro Luzón and defenses engaged in heated arguments, resolved by President Andrés Martínez Arrieta.
