Ábalos and Koldo: 24 and 19-year sentences that will mean months in practice
Ábalos and Koldo receive sentences of 24 and 19 years, which — based on precedents such as Urdangarin — could be reduced to under 4 years actually served. Skepticism over a potential pardon.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Sentences of 24 and 19 years: the Urdangarin precedent points to the real outcome
The convictions of José Luis Ábalos (24 years) and Koldo García (19 years) have been met with euphoria in some quarters. Those hoping for an exemplary punishment would do well to review the record of Spain's justice system in major corruption cases.
The precedent of Iñaki Urdangarin is the uncomfortable mirror: definitively sentenced to 5 years and 10 months, he served barely a few months in an open regime, worked at a community center and went free. Procedural calculations — mitigating factors, accumulation of sentences, appeals to the Supreme Court — turn those 24-year headlines into 3 or 4 years actually served. And there will be no shortage of people recalling the partial pardon granted on "humanitarian grounds" once the media noise dies down.
Some voices interpret these sentences as a tactical move in the middle of the campaign: a "historic bombshell" that will deflate with the first appeals. The judicial machinery has its own pace, and ordinary people, tightening their belts, are skeptical that the shady outfits set up with public money will ever actually close. The key question: how many of the schemers living large off this plot will land on their feet at some foundation before the legislature ends?
The convictions of José Luis Ábalos (24 years) and Koldo García (19 years) have been met with euphoria in some quarters. Those hoping for an exemplary punishment would do well to review the record of Spain's justice system in major corruption cases.
The precedent of Iñaki Urdangarin is the uncomfortable mirror: definitively sentenced to 5 years and 10 months, he served barely a few months in an open regime, worked at a community center and went free. Procedural calculations — mitigating factors, accumulation of sentences, appeals to the Supreme Court — turn those 24-year headlines into 3 or 4 years actually served. And there will be no shortage of people recalling the partial pardon granted on "humanitarian grounds" once the media noise dies down.
Some voices interpret these sentences as a tactical move in the middle of the campaign: a "historic bombshell" that will deflate with the first appeals. The judicial machinery has its own pace, and ordinary people, tightening their belts, are skeptical that the shady outfits set up with public money will ever actually close. The key question: how many of the schemers living large off this plot will land on their feet at some foundation before the legislature ends?
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (9 replies).
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