The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, shares legal assistance with the defendant in the “Koldo case” who testified last Wednesday before the National Court.
Virginia Aragón Segura is the attorney and legal representative of Álvaro Sánchez Manzanares, former Secretary General of Ports, who testified as a defendant in the “Koldo case” last Wednesday. But she is also the usual attorney and legal representative of Pedro Sánchez and the PSOE, as confirmed by these cases documented by this newspaper. For example, she acted as attorney and legal representative of the head of the Executive in the 2020 general election campaign, when the PP reported him to the Central Electoral Board (JEC) for holding rallies from La Moncloa. As Sánchez’s legal representative, she paid the €4,000 fine imposed by the JEC. In addition, she acted as attorney and legal representative of the PSOE after the 2023 general elections, appealing the CERA vote count, which gave the PP one more seat in the Madrid constituency.
In Madrid there are more than 1,500 attorneys and it seems a coincidence that the name chosen by this defendant in the “Koldo case” is the same as that of Sánchez and the PSOE. This coincidence must be linked to the fact that Sánchez Manzanares held the position of secretary of the Committee of Rights and Guarantees in the PSOE in 2012. Another significant fact is that Sánchez Manzanares’ “political godfather” is the same as that of the President of the Government: the former minister José Blanco, today dedicated to lobbying tasks from an important consultancy firm. In addition, he was the one who allowed Sánchez to carry out that controversial crowdfunding campaign before the 2017 primaries. Sánchez Manzanares was legal advisor to the PSOE management after Sánchez’s resignation. And he is credited with the pact that allowed the current president to use the almost 100,000 euros raised in the crowdfunding campaign organized before the primaries.
These data explain the surprise caused by the dismissal of Sánchez Manzanares as Secretary General of Puertos del Estado, given the role he has played within the party in recent years.
Last February, Óscar Puente carried out his dismissal, but the minister did not do the same with the other two senior Transport officials accused (Jesús Manuel Gómez and Michaux Miranda) until 23 August, a month after their indictment. To defend Jesús Manuel Gómez, the Government mobilised the State Attorney’s Office, which ultimately will not defend him. Sánchez Manzanares is legally represented by Pedro Sánchez’s and the PSOE’s main attorney.
In Spain, a court attorney is a law graduate who has registered with a College of Attorneys. He represents the parties in litigation before the courts and tribunals and is responsible for the enforcement of decisions issued by said authorities.
The National Court is investigating an alleged scheme to collect illegal commissions in contracts for the purchase of medical supplies during the pandemic, which affects the former advisor to the former Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos. This scandal has put the spotlight on Sánchez’s Government after the arrest of Koldo García, Ábalos’ former advisor, on suspicion of collecting millions of euros in irregular commissions. The PSOE opened a disciplinary file on Ábalos for his “political responsibility” and provisionally suspended him as a member of the party. Although previously, when they were already aware of the open investigation, which affects different Administrations and ministries, Sánchez had chosen to keep him on his candidacy for the last general elections. This has allowed him to have the status of a privileged person. The former minister is currently attached to the Mixed Group, and this week he has already issued warnings to the Government with two abstentions in Congress. Also this week, in an interview with Carlos Alsina on Onda Cero, he said that he felt persecuted by the Government, and announced that he was expecting to be charged by the Supreme Court in this case.
The former minister has issued several messages that can be interpreted as a warning that he is willing to pull back the cover in the face of the “persecution” that he says he feels from Sánchez’s entourage and after the audit carried out by the Ministry of Transport: which he believes is aimed at harming him, while protecting others.