A Spanish court sentenced former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison for taking bribes on public contracts for face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conviction followed a trial that found him guilty of bribery, money laundering, and abuse of public office.
His advisor Koldo García was sentenced to 19 years, and businessman Víctor de Aldama to four and a half years. The court determined that the defendants had formed a criminal organisation that exploited public power for private gain.
The case involved contracts for sanitary equipment and was brought by the rightwing group Manos Limpias. The court noted the charges undermined democratic principles and distorted public service for personal benefit.