Spain mask scandal: Ábalos gets 24 years, Koldo 19, Aldama freed

The court imposes historic sentences for the mask scheme, but Aldama is released for cooperating, opening the door to further charges.

The verdict in the mask corruption case has fallen heavily on the two main leaders of the scheme that profited from purchasing medical supplies during the pandemic. Former Minister José Luis Ábalos has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for incivil organization, bribery, embezzlement, and influence peddling. His former advisor, Koldo García, received 19 years. However, the most surprising news is that of Víctor de Aldama: the alleged fixer remains free, sentenced to 4 years but with a suspended sentence thanks to his cooperation with the justice system.

An exemplary punishment or a first step

These sentences are the highest recorded in Spain for corruption involving the procurement of medical supplies. The Prosecution had requested even longer terms, but the court found it proven that the scheme operated as a incivil organization within the structures of the Ministry of Transportes (Ministry of Transport). The ruling details how mask contracts worth millions were rigged, involving overpricing and commissions that swelled accounts in tax havens. The question running through current analyses is whether these sentences will actually be served: the precedent of Bárcenas, sentenced to 33 years but only serving 8, fuels skepticism.

Aldama, the key that opens Pandora's box

Aldama's suspended sentence is no small concession. The court has valued his cooperation in uncovering ramifications that reach individuals who have not yet been charged: the name of «Julito»—identified as Julio Martínez, a frontman from the Zapatero era—as well as «Leire» and a «fontanera» (plumber) appear repeatedly in the conversations. The hydrocarbons scheme, which could be even more lucrative than the mask scandal, is now in the spotlight. "Aldama gets off relatively unscathed from this one, but the big prize is the hydrocarbons case," sources close to the investigation summarized. The message is clear: those who talk go free; those who stay silent rot.

The political factor: pardons and survival

The ruling arrives at a delicate moment for Pedro Sánchez's government. The parliamentary majority depends on 61 deputies (the «61») who could be tainted if the investigation advances. The specter of a pardon looms: "Sánchez will do the impossible to pardon Ábalos so he doesn't talk, but he would lose the support of his base," analysts warn. The option of Sánchez fleeing the country has been mentioned more as a joke than a serious prediction, but it reveals the climate of distrust.

The anecdote reflecting decadence

Not everything has been about sentences. During the trial, a story emerged that has spread like wildfire: according to a witness, Ábalos was found in a hotel in Peru, naked and tied to a bed, because he had not paid a sens worker. "It is surreal," his Peruvian former partner declared. The anecdote, whether true or not, has served to illustrate the level of impunity that some attribute to the political class, which, while imposing mandatory masks even on the beach, lived a life of luxury in tropical paradises.

The ruling does not close the case: it opens it. It remains to be seen whether the minor players will talk or if political power will manage to contain the tsunami. For now, Aldama enjoys his conditional freedom; Ábalos and Koldo face years in prison—though experience suggests that prison reality is often more lenient than the paperwork suggests. The ball is now in the court of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, and, above all, the will of those who have something to tell.