Anti-Corruption distances Sánchez from the 'mask case' and points to Ábalos as "boss" of the criminal organization

The chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Alejandro Luzón, took advantage this Wednesday of his final report in the trial held in the Supreme Court to disassociate the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, from the alleged corruption plot related to public mask contracts during the pandemic. The representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office categorically rejected the statement made by the businessman Víctor de Aldama, who had gone so far as to place Sánchez as the “number one” of the investigated organization.

“It is not about establishing a number one, a number two or a number three, and of course the President of the Government was not number one”, affirmed Luzón before the Chamber. With these words, the prosecutor tried to dismantle part of the account offered by Aldama during the judicial procedure and focused the accusation on the former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos and his former advisor Koldo García, whom he considers key pieces of the alleged corrupt network.

According to Anticorrupción, Ábalos acted as the main reference within the investigated structure and was considered “the boss” both by Koldo García and by Aldama's own business environment. The Prosecutor's Office maintains that the accused would have articulated a system to favor public awards and facilitate administrative procedures in exchange for illegal commissions, especially during the most critical months of the Covid-19 health crisis.

During his intervention, Luzón also recalled the testimony given in the trial by the lieutenant colonel of the Central Operative Unit Antonio Balas, responsible for part of the police investigation. The Guardia Civil commander explained before the court that “who pays commands” and directly pointed to Aldama as the person who financed and demanded certain actions within the plot. However, the prosecutor introduced an important nuance: he assured that the businessman did not participate in all the crimes attributed to Ábalos and Koldo García.

That argument is key to explaining the difference between the sentences requested by the Prosecutor's Office. Anti-Corruption maintains its request for 24 years in prison for Ábalos and 19 and a half years for Koldo García, while for Aldama it demands 7 years in prison. Luzón argued that the former minister and his former advisor would have committed some criminal acts without needing the direct participation of the businessman, which would justify a greater criminal reproach.

The trial thus enters its definitive phase after fourteen sessions held in the Supreme Court. The defenses are now finalizing their final reports before the accused exercise their right to the last word and the case is left ready for judgment.