Spain indicts former minister’s ex‑partner and Koldo García’s brother in corruption probe

Judge Ismael Moreno of the Audiencia Nacional has formally indicted Jessica Rodríguez, the former partner of ex‑transport minister José Luis Ábalos, and Joseba García Izaguirre, the brother of Koldo García. Prosecutors allege they participated in an influence‑peddling and embezzlement scheme that placed Jessica on the payroll of public companies Ineco and Tragsatec between 2019 and 2021, allowing her to collect more than €43,000 in salaries without performing any work. The indictment also names former ADIF executive Ignacio Zaldívar as a co‑accused for facilitating the contracts. The three are scheduled to appear before the Audiencia Nacional on 20 July. The case expands the earlier “Koldo” scandal that led to Supreme Court convictions for Ábalos and Koldo García over fraudulent mask contracts, with the prosecution arguing that the plan’s purpose was “precisely that she did not work and yet received monthly payments.”