Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas and Commander Jesús Montes from the Guardia Civil's UCO testified on Monday in Spain's Supreme Court in the Koldo case, outlining key roles in the alleged criminal organization involving José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García, and Víctor de Aldama. Balas stated Aldama paid, Ábalos opened business doors, and García served as the transmission belt. Defenses pushed alternatives, exhausting the tribunal president's patience.
Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas, head of the UCO investigation, described in Spain's Supreme Court how businessman Víctor de Aldama kept those involved "on payroll," paying and demanding, while José Luis Ábalos performed "the biggest" tasks in exchange for counter-services. Koldo García acted as the "transmission belt" and "alter ego" of Ábalos. "Ábalos is the one who opens businesses, the one with the capacity to take Aldama and his partners to places they cannot reach," Balas explained to the anti-corruption prosecutor.
Commander Jesús Montes detailed the triangle formed in August 2018, shortly after Ábalos was named Minister of Development. They cited influences at high levels, such as the Air Europa bailout and Delcy Rodríguez's visit, whose letter Aldama drafted and Ábalos got approved via Pedro Sánchez. Koldo managed Ábalos' assets, including monthly 10,000-euro payments referred to as "the K".
In the tenth hearing of the masks procurement trial, defenses for Ábalos (Marino Turiel) and García (Leticia de la Hoz) proposed alternatives like remote access to devices or that "the K" might refer to Karmina. Agents denied tampering, confirming Faraday bags were used. Tribunal President Andrés Martínez Arrieta warned: "From now on I will be more radical with you."
The session, starting with other agents explaining the chain of custody, stretched past midnight, with breaks for "calls of nature".
