The first trial of the “Koldo case” will continue until the 30th in the Supreme Court. These are some of its protagonists:
The accused
José Luis Ábalos
The former minister, who was Pedro Sánchez’s most trusted man, is the main accused. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office charges him with five crimes (membership in a criminal organization, influence peddling, bribery, embezzlement and use of privileged information). He faces a request for a sentence of 24 years in prison, which the popular accusation (which brings together the PP) raises to 30, for the alleged rigging of awards during the pandemic for the purchase of masks through the ministry he directed. He will also have to give explanations for the “connection” of his ex-partner Jesica Rodríguez in two public companies, Ineco and Logitrail, and of his friend Claudia Montes, former Miss Asturias, in Logitrail.
Koldo Garcia
Ábalos Transport Advisor. The Prosecutor’s Office is asking for a sentence of 19 and a half years in prison (30 is claimed by the popular accusation) for the same five crimes that his former boss is accused of. His presence is omnipresent in all the actions under suspicion, from the collection of money that would have been shared with Ábalos to the efforts to place Jesica Rodríguez and the choice of the chalet in the “La Alcaidesa” urbanization, in the Línea de la Concepción, for the enjoyment of Ábalos and his family.
Victor de Aldama
His testimony has been decisive for the advancement of the investigation. He uncovered the alleged plot to distribute commissions due to the rigging of awards. His revelations have been corroborated in many cases by the reports of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) and by the statements of witnesses. He is the crux of the accusations despite sitting on the bench. His collaboration with Justice has earned him the application of a mitigating circumstance for which he faces a request for a much lower sentence than those of the other two investigated: seven years in prison.
The court
Andrés Martínez Arrieta
President of the court that will judge the facts. He is, in turn, president of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court. He presided over the trial of the then State Attorney General, Álvaro García Ortiz, who was sentenced to two years of disqualification for revealing secrets for disseminating confidential information about Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s boyfriend, businessman Alberto González Amador.
The accusations
Alejandro Luzon
The Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor will mainly support the Public Ministry’s accusation. Experienced and relentless in interrogations, in his hand – and in that of the popular prosecution lawyer, PP lawyer Alberto Durán– is convincing the court that the evidence supports its accusatory thesis about the existence of a criminal organization dedicated to decanting public awards in favor of certain businessmen in exchange for illegal commissions.
The witnesses
Angel Victor Torres
The Minister of Territorial Policy, summoned as a witness for the Canary Islands’ contracts with the company involved in the plot, will testify in writing due to his position, so he will not appear in the Supreme Court as initially planned.
Francina Armengol
The current president of the Congress of Deputies will also testify in writing about the awarding of contracts to Management Solutions when she was at the head of the Balearic Islands government.
Isabel Pardo de Vera
Former president of Adif, she is investigated in the branch of the “Koldo case” that is being investigated in the National Court. Testifies as a witness for the acquisition of masks by the railway infrastructure manager.
Alvaro Sánchez Manzanares
Former secretary general of State Ports, one of the few political victims of the “Koldo case” (he was dismissed after the UCO revealed various WhatsApp messages with Koldo García about the contracts for the purchase of masks by the first public body that contracted with the plot), will testify as a witness at the trial.
Javier Hidalgo
The former CEO of Globalia will testify about Aldama’s efforts to rescue Air Europa, a company for which the commission agent worked as an advisor.
Francisco Pardo Piqueras
The Director General of the Police is also summoned as a witness for the Interior contracts with the company involved in the plot. He tried without success to testify from his office.
Enriqueta Chiclano
The president of the Court of Accounts will testify in relation to the reports that endorsed the contracts with Management Solutions. He also tried to avoid his in-person testimony at the trial, but the Supreme Court objected.
Joseba Rodriguez
Koldo’s brother and investigated in the National Court, he will have to testify about the payments he supposedly received in the Dominican Republic from a businessman partner of Aldama that would be directed to Ábalos’s then advisor.
Jessica Rodriguez
Ábalos’ ex-partner was plugged into two public companies, Ineco and Tragsatec, and Aldama paid her for more than two years for an apartment in the Plaza de España in Madrid through one of his partners. He admitted in the Supreme Court that he did not even go to work nor did he do so remotely from home. He will testify as a witness.
Claudia Montes
The former Miss Asturias also had a special relationship with the former minister and, like Jesica Rodríguez, was placed in a public company, Logitrail, which is why the court will hear her testimony.