A new scandal is brewing in Spain around former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos. Law enforcement authorities have been drawn to his expenses totaling over 95,000 euros, the origin of which is not supported by any banking transactions. This information comes as a result of a thorough audit carried out by financial crime specialists.
The audit covered the period from 2017 to 2021, when Ábalos held key positions in both government and his party. Investigators believe that during this time, cash inflows became particularly frequent. The case files also mention an additional 20,000 euros that are presumed to have gone undeclared.
Particular attention was paid to discrepancies between the party’s official reports and actual payments related to Ábalos’s activities. Investigators believe this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader scheme involving unreported funds. The case also references conversations between former ministerial adviser Koldo García and his wife, during which they discussed cash handovers at the party office on Ferraz street. To refer to the bills, they used code words: ‘chistoras’ for 500 euros, ‘lechugas’ for hundreds, and ‘folios’ for other banknotes. Large sums, according to their agreement, were broken down into smaller bills with the help of third parties.
Investigators note that Ábalos regularly withdrew and deposited cash in banks, which may indicate he had a substantial reserve of money outside official accounts. According to the investigators, these funds could have originated from both party structures and personal contacts, particularly his son Víctor Ábalos.
Case materials emphasize that Koldo García frequently paid expenses for Ábalos and his associates, later receiving reimbursement. In their testimonies, both claimed this practice was routine and remained within the bounds of personal agreements.
An analysis of financial flows between 2014 and 2018 showed stable income and expenditures, mainly from salaries and rental income. However, since 2017, when Ábalos became the party’s organizational secretary, cash transactions became noticeably more frequent. Interestingly, since 2018 he stopped withdrawing cash from ATMs, only resuming this practice in 2024.
In total, more than 252,000 euros were credited to Ábalos’s accounts, most of which were linked to rental properties. However, some of these deposits, including 26,600 euros from an advisor for renting accommodation in Madrid, were not declared in tax reports. The investigation is ongoing into the details of this complex financial case.
