A meeting of the commission investigating the Koldo case was held in the Spanish Senate, where Claudia Montes gave testimony. She became the center of attention due to her connection with former minister José Luis Ábalos and her employment at the state-owned company Logirail, which is part of Renfe. Montes explained that she met Ábalos at a political event in Asturias in 2019, after which she got a job at Logirail. According to her, the hiring process was standard, and she did not notice any irregularities or preferential treatment.
Montes emphasized that her experience and professional skills were valued by her employer, and that the company does not require a competitive selection to hire staff. She began her career in a role related to tourist trains, and was later promoted to a managerial position. While working there—from late 2019 to February 2022—Montes faced significant challenges.
According to Montes, she was forced to take medical leave due to pressure from Koldo García, Ábalos’s former adviser. She claims García subjected her to psychological harassment, which led to severe emotional distress. Montes admitted that she did not seek support from Ábalos, as he was preoccupied with other high-profile political affairs and scandals.
During the hearings, it was revealed that Montes had indeed sought help from Ábalos in finding a job, and her employment at Logirail became possible thanks to the mediation of Koldo García. However, both parties deny having any personal relationship. In response, Ábalos filed a defamation lawsuit against Montes, accusing her of slander and spreading false information about him and García. He maintains that their communication was limited to meeting at a party event and messaging on social networks, and that he had no influence over her hiring process.
The scandal surrounding Logirail and the figure of Koldo García continues to intensify. After the interrogation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the commission focused once again on the details of employment and working conditions at state-run companies. Montes’ story has become one of the key episodes in the investigation, highlighting issues of transparency and internal conflicts within state-related structures.
