Former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos received a sentence of 24 years and three months in the first trial of the so-called Koldo case, which examined irregularities in pandemic-era mask procurement. The court capped the time he must serve at 16 and a half years. His former adviser, Koldo García, was sentenced to 19 years and eight months, with a maximum of 15 years to be served. Businessman Víctor de Aldama received four years and six months; his sentence was suspended subject to conditions, including not reoffending and completing community service. The court took his cooperation with the prosecution into account.
The case concerned contracts to buy 13 million masks, with Aldama acting as an intermediary for the supplier and alleged illicit commissions tied to the deals. The convictions covered criminal organization and bribery, alongside embezzlement and influence peddling. The judgment also addressed alleged improper public-sector employment arrangements involving Ábalos’s former partner, Jéssica Rodríguez, at Ineco and Tragsatec. The court found that Ábalos used his public position, with García’s assistance, to help payments despite no work being performed.
The Criminal Chamber reached its verdict unanimously after a 14-session trial, hearing from more than 70 witnesses drawn from public service and business, as well as expert and family circles. The Supreme Court heard the case because Ábalos was a national parliamentarian during the relevant period and so held the status of an aforado, placing the proceedings within the court’s jurisdiction. Ábalos and García, held in pre-trial detention at Soto del Real prison since November 27, appeared by videoconference. Aldama, the only defendant not in custody, attended in person with his lawyer. Participants had to leave their mobile phones outside the courtroom area.
The prosecution had sought 24 years for Ábalos and 19 and a half years for García, arguing that the three defendants formed a “true criminal organization” that exploited Ábalos’s ministerial position for personal gain. Lawyers for Ábalos and García sought acquittals and challenged the evidence. Aldama’s defense, facing a reduced prosecution request of seven years after his confession, sought a further reduction in recognition of his cooperation. On October 14, 2026, the Supreme Court rejected nullity applications by Ábalos and García, ruling that the procedure could not be used to have the same arguments reconsidered as if it were a fresh appeal. They may still seek protection before Spain’s Constitutional Court.
The ruling is likely to shape the wider Koldo investigations, which have put the government under pressure and contributed to the political downfall of Ábalos and his successor, Santos Cerdán. Other strands, such as alleged rigging of public works contracts and cash payments linked to the PSOE, remain before the National Court. The case has drawn comparisons with other high-profile public punishments in Spain, including events in the valley described in coverage of disciplinary actions in Valle Salvaje, amid continued scrutiny of public officials and the consequences of corruption scandals.
The Koldo case centers on contracts awarded by the Ministry of Transport at the height of the pandemic, when urgent procurement heightened the risk of irregularities. The convictions mark a consequential stage in the proceedings and intensify scrutiny of emergency procurement controls, political access and accountability for senior officials in Spain.
