Ex-top aide of Spanish PM set to go on trial for graft

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MADRID: The corruption trial of José Luis Ábalos, the former right-hand man to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is set to begin on Tuesday, April 7. This high-stakes legal proceeding at the Supreme Court in Madrid centers on a series of alleged graft schemes that have significantly strained Spain’s fragile minority coalition government. 

Ábalos, once a powerful Transport Minister and a key figure in the Socialist Party, stands accused of bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling, and membership in a criminal organization.

The core of the prosecution's case involves a ‘kickback’ scheme related to millions of euros in public contracts for sanitary equipment awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors allege that Ábalos, alongside his former adviser Koldo García and businessman Víctor de Aldama, manipulated government contacts to secure illicit profits. 

While the defendants maintain their innocence, the state is seeking a substantial 24-year prison sentence for Ábalos, whom they characterize as the mastermind of the operation.

The trial arrives at a time of intense political pressure for Prime Minister Sánchez. Beyond this case, the administration faces separate inquiries involving the Prime Minister's wife and brother, leading opposition parties to demand early elections and his resignation.

 As more than 75 witnesses prepare to testify throughout April, the outcome of this trial could have profound implications for the stability of the current government and the future of the Socialist Party.

Photo Credits: AFP