Spain's Supreme Court has begun the trial of former minister José Luis Ábalos and his ex-advisor Koldo García over alleged corruption in mask contracts during the pandemic. Key witnesses, including Ábalos's son, García's brother, and Ábalos's ex-partner, testified denying involvement in money handling or irregular appointments. Defenses pointed to businessman Víctor de Aldama as the main culprit.
The trial in the Supreme Court's Plenary Hall began on April 7, 2026, with Ábalos and García arriving from Soto del Real prison, escorted by National Police. Both have been in provisional custody for five months, while Aldama, cooperating with justice, remains free. Anticorruption Prosecutor Alejandro Luzón seeks 24 years for Ábalos and 19.5 for García.
Víctor Ábalos, the ex-minister's son, denied being his father's "money custodian." He explained lending over 20,000 euros to his father after divorce and helping Koldo García's wife with temporary work. On "café" messages, he said: "Koldo really likes coffee," referring to literal coffee from Colombia, not money.
Joseba García, Koldo's brother and charged in another branch of the case, rejected collecting money. His trips to the Dominican Republic were for business and love, not 10,000-euro envelopes. Cash at his home came from his biker club, and he helped Jésica Rodríguez with work logs at Ineco, a public company under the Transport Ministry.
Jésica Rodríguez, Ábalos's ex-partner, admitted being hired at Ineco and Tragsatec without working, receiving 43,978 euros from 2019 to 2021. "I said what José and Koldo told me," she stated. Ábalos covered her expenses, including a flat in Plaza de España paid by Aldama's associate. Ábalos's lawyer, Marino Turiel, asked if she engaged in prostitution; she denied: "I'm a registered dentist."
Ábalos and García's defenses aim to shift blame to Aldama, creating contradictions among witnesses, as reported by EL PAÍS.
