Spain's former transportation minister was sentenced to 24 years in prison for corruption

Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced former Transportation Minister José Luis Abalos to 24 years in prison for participation in a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of influence. 

This verdict was the first in a series of high-profile corruption scandals that directly implicated Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s ruling Socialist Party. 

The trial concerned large-scale fraud and the falsification of government contracts for the supply of personal protective equipment and medical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Abalos headed the relevant ministry. Along with the former minister, his aide, Coldo García, was sentenced to 19 years in prison, and businessman Víctor de Aldama received a four-and-a-half-year suspended sentence thanks to his cooperation with investigators in exposing the scheme. Due to the corruption case involving the inner circle of the current prime minister, the leader of the opposition People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has already issued an official demand that Pedro Sánchez take political responsibility and resign immediately.

This was reported by EFE.

A Spanish court has barred Prime Minister Sánchez’s wife from leaving the country in connection with a corruption case.

Former Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero is suspected of influence peddling, according to Reuters.