A new wave of scandal is unfolding in Spanish politics around José Luis Ábalos. The former minister, who previously served as the Organization Secretary of the PSOE, has decided to completely overhaul his defense in the high-profile Koldo case. With hearings in the Supreme Court approaching, Ábalos is actively seeking a new lawyer, although no final decision has been made yet regarding the change of attorney.
At present, the former minister retains his seat in Congress, despite having been expelled from the ranks of the Socialists almost two years ago. He does not intend to give up his parliamentary seat, believing it provides him with additional opportunities for defense. Ábalos insists that he will not seek any deals with the prosecution, as he considers himself innocent and sees no reason for self-incrimination.
It remains unclear who will represent his interests at the upcoming hearings before Supreme Court Judge Leopoldo Puente. Ábalos is carefully considering this step, as not only his political career but also his reputation are at stake. The main focus is on a report prepared by the Central Operative Unit of the Guardia Civil, which the politician believes resembles more of an information smokescreen than real evidence.
The reason for changing lawyers was dissatisfaction with the current defense strategy. Ábalos disagrees with how his legal team responded to the pressure that followed the publication of the UCO report on Santos Cerdán, as well as with their attempts to persuade him to make a deal with the prosecutor’s office. He believes that distortions and speculations are being directed at him in order to portray him as guilty.
Judge Puente, for his part, sees signs of possible violations in the UCO materials: the case concerns non-transparent financial transactions and suspicious deposits into accounts belonging to Ábalos and his former advisor. Investigators suspect these funds may be linked to fraud in public contract agreements.
Ábalos himself categorically denies all accusations. He does not understand why he should plead guilty, as businessman Víctor de Aldama did, who is believed to be a key link in the corruption scheme. Although the UCO report points to almost 95,000 euros of discrepancies in his finances, the former minister insists that the origin of these funds is transparent, and he will be able to prove this in court.
It is worth noting that neither the UCO report nor the court’s rulings mention illegal financing of PSOE or ‘envelope’ payments, as opponents from the Partido Popular allege. The Socialists, in turn, insist that all cash expenses were approved by the Court of Auditors and do not violate the law.
Ábalos has no intention of stepping down. He believes that giving up his parliamentary seat would only weaken his defense, while his status as a member of parliament keeps him under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. In his view, the entire situation is driven by political maneuvering, and he is ready to fight back.
There are disagreements within the defense team about whether to relinquish the mandate and move the case to the National Court, which could prolong the process. Ábalos is convinced that following the publication of the Civil Guard’s report, interest in the case is gradually fading, and he considers the report itself to be biased and inaccurate.
The former minister is convinced that the final amount of unjustified income will turn out to be much lower than stated in the report. He sees no grounds for arrest after the new testimony, since he is not violating restrictions, not hiding, and cannot destroy evidence, and his former positions no longer play any role.
