Former Spanish minister Jose Luis Abalos sentenced to 24 years for corruption

The Madrid Supreme Court has sentenced former Spanish Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos to 24 years in prison for his role in a large-scale corruption scandal. The conviction relates to illegal contracts for the procurement of face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Abalos, a former key Socialist Party official, was found guilty of forming a criminal organization, corruption, embezzlement of public funds, and influence peddling. His former advisor, Koldo Garcia, received a 19-year prison sentence for similar charges. Businessman Victor de Aldama was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, though his sentence is suspended due to his cooperation with the investigation. The court concluded that the defendants operated as a criminal organization with divided roles. Abalos allegedly received monthly payments and funded family vacations in exchange for awarding mask contracts. All primary defendants remain in pre-trial detention.