Former Spanish Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos Sentenced to 24 Years in Corruption Case

Spain's Supreme Court sentenced former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years and three months in prison for organized crime, bribery, influence peddling and embezzlement linked to mask‑contract fraud. The court also handed a 19‑year‑8‑month term to his former adviser Koldo García for the same scheme, while granting a reduced sentence to commission agent Víctor de Aldama for his cooperation.

The ruling, the longest prison term ever imposed on a former government member in democratic Spain, stems from a scandal in which Ábalos allegedly steered mask procurement contracts to Aldama’s firm in exchange for monthly commissions and personal benefits. The judgment is part of a broader wave of investigations, including the ongoing "Operation Kitchen" and other corruption probes targeting public works and regional contracts.