Seen for ruling. The trial of the mask case in the Supreme Court, which began a month ago, has come to an end. It has been the moment for the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the PP – which leads the popular prosecutions – and the three defense teams to verbalize their conclusions. The first to speak was the prosecutor. "The number one was not the president of the Spanish government, as, to Aldama's notable relief, he attributes to him," he said in the initial part of his speech. It was the businessman's new accusation, and prosecutor Alejandro Luzón has distanced himself completely. That said, he has highlighted that José Luis Ábalos was at the "top" or in the "essential cog" of the organization. In his opinion, he, Koldo García, and Víctor de Aldama – along with other individuals – formed a "true criminal organization" that was born from a "corrupting pact that interested everyone" as a result of "insistence" and "little resistance" and that it did not "dissipate and exhaust itself" until Ábalos was dismissed as minister in July 2021.

Day of revelations and denials at the Supreme Court. After Victor de Aldama's explosive statement, which shot left and right to try to splash Pedro Sánchez and question the PSOE's financing, it is now the turn of Koldo García, who was an advisor to José Luis Ábalos in the Ministry of Transport and for whom the Prosecutor's Office is seeking nineteen and a half years in prison. "Ask me absolutely everything to try to prove my innocence," the prosecutor urged right at the start. And, after five and a half hours, he has resolved one of the great questions of the trial: what are "chistorras"? A Guardia Civil report suspected that it was the code name to refer to 500 euro banknotes. And Koldo García, when questioned by his lawyer, confirmed it, despite the fact that last October, in a couple of television interviews, he stated that the chistorras were "sausages".

Key day in the mask case trial at the Supreme Court. After ten sessions, it is the turn of the declarations of the three defendants: José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García and Víctor de Aldama. The only one who could be interrogated this Wednesday was the businessman and alleged facilitator of the plot, who agreed to collaborate with justice a year and a half ago when he was in preventive detention –"what a invention", replied Pedro Sánchez– and for whom the Prosecutor's Office requests a much lower penalty than for the rest of the defendants. Just as he did at that initial moment of the investigation, he has decided to elaborate, stretch the blanket and point directly to Pedro Sánchez. Without providing evidence and relying solely on his word, he has given meticulous details to try to accredit his privileged access to the spheres of power, has detailed the roadmap of the alleged corruption and has expressed "remorse". "If there is a hierarchy of a criminal organization, Sánchez is in the first echelon", he said. "I was told that the president knew everything", he added in a statement that lasted more than six and a half hours.

One of the questions that the eighth day of the Ábalos case trial has tried to resolve is where the cash bills that José Luis Ábalos and Koldo García had came from. During the investigation, the Civil Guard detected more than 95,000 euros from the former Minister of Transport and former number three of the PSOE without bank tracing. This reinforced the thesis of "the existence of undeclared cash income" and triggered the opening of a separate piece in the National Court on the financing of the PSOE. The investigating judge raised the hypothesis that the PSOE helped Ábalos or Koldo to "launder" money. This Wednesday, in the Supreme Court, two lines of action have become apparent during the testimony of Mariano Moreno, who was the party's manager between 2017 and 2021. First, he assured that Ferraz "never" handed over 100, 200, and 500 euro bills, which are the ones the Civil Guard suspects Koldo and his circle managed – using code names. Later, the lawyer for Ábalos's former advisor, wanting to show that all the money he received was "of legal origin," wanted to highlight possible errors in the documentation that the socialists sent to the courts.

One of the missions of the Supreme Court in the first three days of the trial against José Luis Ábalos has been to reconstruct the alleged cronyism of two women close to the then Minister of Transport and former organization secretary of the PSOE. They are Jessica Rodríguez, who was his partner for a year and a half; and Claudia Montes, with whom he maintained a "virtual" relationship. The first has admitted that she was receiving payment without going to work – a total of 44,000 euros at Ineco and Tragsatec–. The second woman claims that she did fulfill her duties at Logirail, although others dispute this. Amidst contradictions and labor disputes, several witnesses have tried to shed light on this this week at the high court. "I had a contract, but I wasn't actively working," Jessica Rodríguez acknowledged on Tuesday. Marino Turiel, José Luis Ábalos' lawyer, suspects there is a hidden agreement between her and Víctor de Aldama: "It is very clear that there is a pact and an agreement".

A few days ago, King Juan Carlos, the emeritus, was applauded and cheered by the audience in a bullring, who, with signs of enthusiasm, asked him to return. To return to Spain, of course, but also to return to the position of power and preeminence that, according to these people, he deserves. Juan Carlos I, it is worth remembering, is an unelected head of state who, over forty years of reign, defrauded billions to the Treasury of the very state over which he reigned, and who also used the institutions and powers of the state (and, naturally, the public treasury) for his personal interests, ranging from erotic adventures to business dealings with oil sheikhs who have finally taken him in under the auspices of a dictatorship. Many, however, are still supporters of Juan Carlos convinced that the monarch lives in forced exile, a victim of his son Felipe's treacherous understanding with the enemies of the homeland, etc.I mention this because, in Spain, corruption is so deeply rooted within the very architecture of the state that it is an inseparable part of it. From the king downwards, literally: the judiciary, the army, the police forces. Of course, also elected governments, whether central, regional, or municipal. And political parties, naturally. One should never forget the lush jungle of corrupters, which includes everything from construction, energy, and technology companies to media outlets, and, needless to say, banks.Now, the PP and the PSOE are facing, in parallel, trials for corruption cases: the corrosive Kitchen plot, concerning the Popular Party, and the shabby masquerade case, or Koldo case, or Ábalos or Cerdán (it is referred to in all these ways) concerning the Socialists. The coincidence of these two judicial proceedings can be considered the start of the election campaign for the upcoming general elections. Therefore, we will see and hear the leaders, and sympathetic journalists and media, exchanging insults and reproaches in the childish and poisoned tone that Spanish politics has adopted for some time, in a spectacle that can only be endured on the most cheerful days.However, we should not be mistaken. Even in corruption there are classes, and in the Spanish state, the one in charge of this matter is and always will be the Popular Party. The corrupt dealings of the socialists and other parties can amount to considerable mire, but no other party, not even the PSOE, can afford to organize patriotic police forces or to blow up banks in Andorra just to destroy political enemies, both external and internal. This is for one reason: as in the film Tomorrow is Another Day, the other parties are contingent, while the PP is necessary. Necessary for the continuity of the homeland, as understood by the aforementioned institutions and companies. Necessary to maintain a balance of power in Spain, as understood by, for example, all those who applauded Juan Carlos in the bullring.

"I have never had any connection with Plus Ultra, nor did anyone ask me for anything. I did nothing and had no interest in the bailout." José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero testified for four hours before the Senate's Koldo case investigation committee. called by the PP at the start of the election campaign in Castile and León to talk, primarily, about the Plus Ultra bailout. A case that is under investigation for alleged money laundering – it is questioned whether part of the bailout could have been used to launder money from corruption in Venezuela – and which the Popular Party has long considered highly credible.

Under investigation for alleged corruption in the Supreme Court, Santos Cerdán presented his defense strategy in the Senate on Wednesday. This comes amid a crisis within the Spanish government. cases piling up in the courtsand a month later to be released on bail from prisonThe former number three of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) appeared before the Koldo case committee in the Senate to once again assert his innocence. Although he invoked his right to remain silent regarding the specific charges against him, he claimed to be the victim of a "persecution worthy of the Inquisition" and linked the investigation to his role in the amnesty law agreement. "I will defend myself; let it be clear, I am innocent, I am not corrupt, and sooner or later you will be able to verify this," he said in an initial statement read from a laptop. The former socialist leader, who spoke with his lawyer, Jacobo Teijelo, before entering the courtroom, denounced the "unfair trial" he has been subjected to, claiming that "no specific crime is being investigated." And in a subsequent response to the senator from the Junts per Catalunya party, Eduard Pujol, he stated that the case against him "would not have exploded" as it did if he hadn't led the negotiations with Junts for Pedro Sánchez's investiture, which culminated in the Brussels agreement. "There is a before and after the photo with Puigdemont [...] Everything changed after that photo," he said.

Pedro Sánchez's government is increasingly dependent on the courts. Anxiety is spreading among the Socialist ranks, especially after a week that has brought two new developments: five arrests These events have brought to light two new cases—which remain secret—and a Civil Guard report that once again implicates José Luis Ábalos. These are ongoing investigations into issues that strike at the heart of the Spanish president's political roadmap and the origins of his rise to power. Of the five arrested, the National Court has released former Socialist Party member Leire Díez, Vicente Fernández Guerrero, former president of SEPI (State Holding Company for Industrial Participations), and Basque businessman Antxon Alonso, owner of the company Servinabar and a friend of Santos Cerdán, former PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) organizational secretary. All five were released with precautionary measures (passport confiscation and periodic court appearances) after the prosecution did not request their imprisonment.

A reshuffle is underway at the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, instigated by the Spanish government. The Council of Ministers will approve tomorrow the promotion of Colonel Rafael Yuste Arenes to Brigadier General, which will entail his departure as head of the UCO, according to reports. Eldiario.es and government sources confirm to ARA. The UCO is the specialized unit that, among other things, is participating in the investigation of the legal cases surrounding Pedro Sánchez – for example, prepared the report which led to the indictment of Santos Cerdán or accredited that the Attorney General deleted the messages from his mobile phone the day the Supreme Court indicted him—. Rafael Yuste had been in charge of the UCO for two and a half years—he arrived in June 2023 replacing Alfonso López Malo—and has now been promoted after passing the course and ranking first in his class in the evaluation.

The 180 meters separating the Supreme Court from the National Court have never seemed so short. Last Thursday, while José Luis Ábalos faced the possibility of being sent to prison by Leopoldo Puente in the case concerning the purchase of face masks – as It ended up happening—Víctor de Aldama testified before Ismael Moreno regarding contracts awarded by the Canary Islands government during the pandemic; an alleged corruption scheme that has led to multiple parallel investigations with interconnected links. So much so, that even the lawyers involved are still unclear about the number of ongoing cases and their scope. We're taking it one step at a time.

Something has happened again that has never happened before, which is that a sitting member of parliament goes to prison.

Supreme Court Justice Leopoldo Puente has summoned former minister José Luis Ábalos and his former advisor Koldo García to a hearing on Thursday, November 27, to decide whether to keep them free or remand them in custody. The judge will review the precautionary measures he has in place for the former Socialist Party (PSOE) minister and his advisor in the case concerning the alleged scheme to purchase face masks during the pandemic, after the private prosecutors and the public prosecutor requested a hearing to have them detained. The hearing comes just weeks after the judge himself warned of a "growing" flight risk as the trial "approaches" and the evidence in the case "strengthens." This Wednesday The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested a 24-year prison sentence and a fine of almost 4 million euros for Ábalos.The prosecutor accuses him of five crimes: membership in a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling, and insider trading. For Koldo, the request is for 19 years for the same crimes. Currently, both Ábalos and Koldo must appear in court every two weeks, their passports have been confiscated, and they are prohibited from leaving Spain.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office is seeking a 24-year prison sentence and a fine of almost 4 million euros for José Luis Ábalos, former Minister of Transport and former Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, in the case concerning the purchase of masks during the pandemic. He is one step away from trial.In a 21-page document, Alejandro Luzón accuses him of five crimes: membership in a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling, and insider trading. In a tweet on X, Ábalos denounced that "not only have each and every one of the pieces of evidence I have requested or access to the case file been rejected," but that "now, in a premeditated strategy of pressure, I am being subjected to an exaggerated demand for crimes and penalties."

After 142 days in Soto del Real prison, Santos Cerdán has been released on bail by order of the Supreme Court judge investigating him for alleged corruption. Upon his release, the former third-ranking member of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) denounced the "lies" and "manipulations" that, he says, are being spread about him. "I trust that the truth will prevail and justice will be served," he declared outside the prison on Wednesday night. However, Judge Leopoldo Puente's decision does not represent an improvement in Cerdán's legal situation, but quite the opposite. The judge investigating the case of alleged illegal commissions in public works contracts, who until now had justified keeping him imprisoned due to the risk of evidence tampering, ruled on Wednesday that he had gathered sufficient evidence to ensure that the release of the former PSOE leader would no longer compromise the investigation. The decision comes just one day after... a new report from the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard came to light, in which investigators place Cerdán as "the link" between the Spanish government and Acciona, the construction company at the epicenter of the alleged scheme.

The judge at the National Court presiding over the Koldo García case, Ismael Moreno, has decided to open a separate investigation into cash payments made by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) to former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and his advisor Koldo García. This decision comes after the judge received a ruling from Supreme Court Justice Leopoldo Puente, requesting the National Court to investigate these payments, which the party claims were used to cover justified expenses.

The People's Party (PP) long ago decided to sacrifice the Senate's value as a chamber of territorial representation and a second reading body, turning it into a sounding board for their opposition to Pedro Sánchez. That's why they thought it was a good idea to summon the Spanish Prime Minister to testify before a commission on the Koldo case in a room they completely control. But once again, and this has happened several times now, the PP has failed, and Pedro Sánchez has emerged unscathed from the lamentable spectacle that unfolded in the Senate.

For the second day in a row, the Supreme Court followed a virtually identical script. After José Luis Ábalos appeared yesterday, this Thursday it was Koldo García's turn. Just as the former Minister of Transport did, his former advisor refused to testify, criticizing Leopoldo Puente, the judge in charge of the alleged corruption case at the high court, who opted to release him. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, as was the case with Ábalos, has not requested his imprisonment, even though it sees a certain risk of flight, and the Popular Party (PP) prosecutors, led by the People's Party (PP), have again unsuccessfully requested provisional detention without bail. Thus, Koldo has also avoided prison and is leaving the Supreme Court with the same precautionary measures that were being applied to him: revocation of his passport and biweekly appearances in court. Thus, the former number three of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Santos Cerdán, is the only suspect in the case who is incarcerated.

A new report by the UCO (Central University of Madrid) on the assets of José Luis Ábalos has once again ignited the political climate in Madrid, but it doesn't really clarify the true scope of a corruption case that, on paper, could threaten the continuity of Pedro Sánchez's government. In this report, the Civil Guard reveals that Ábalos gave his advisor, Koldo García, almost daily instructions to pay from his bank accounts for expenses that were actually his own. For example, gifts for his lovers, his son's pension, and personal trips. In total, these expenses add up to 95,000 euros, which the Civil Guard suspects Koldo paid with money of dubious origin, but the report does not clarify this.

José Luis Ábalos's ex-wife, Carolina Perles, reported tonight the "threats" she claims she received from Koldo García when he was an advisor to the former Minister of Transport. In an interview on Telecinco, Perles described Koldo as a "life saver" and explains that he marked a "turning point" in her life. "He behaved very hostilely toward me," she states. The then advisor, now indicted along with Ábalos for allegedly taking illegal kickbacks, was "hooked up" by the minister all day long with the goal of "keeping him under control at all times," according to the woman, who believes that García acted as a "mole" for Santos Cerdán, the former number three of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) also under investigation in the alleged case.