Koldo Case
The Koldo Case, or Abalos Case, is an ongoing prosecution conducted by the Spanish Supreme Court that began on 28 February 2024. It involves several political figures, primarily allies of President Pedro Sánchez, and pertains to the case of the masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
Background
[edit]Spain was one of the countries seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a significant impact on the economy and Spanish society.[2]
Investigation
[edit]The European Commission has launched an investigation to determine whether European Union funds were misused in Spain's Koldo corruption scandal. This scandal involves millions of euros in commissions for the purchase of face masks during the pandemic. The Commission has also forwarded relevant information to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).[3]
On December 2, the Supreme Court has called former minister José Luis Ábalos, his assistant Koldo García and the commission agent Víctor de Aldama to testify as defendants. They are charged with the crimes of bribery, embezzlement, criminal organization and influence peddling. [4]
The Civil Guard indicates in its report that the criminal plot led by Jose Luis Abalos would have received 60 million euros in commissions for selling masks to the ministries of the Government of Spain. [5]
The scandal has involved other investigations related to Víctor de Aldama and José Luis Ábalos, such as the rescue of the Air Europa company or the visit of the vice president of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez. [6]
Víctor de Aldama is immersed in another investigation for having defrauded the Spanish Treasury hundreds of millions of euros with the sale of gasoline. [7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Todos los nombres investigados en el caso Koldo... y otros actores salpicados" (in Spanish). 20Minutos. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Oliver, N.; Barber, X.; Roomp, K.; Roomp, K. (22 September 2020). "Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: Large-Scale, Online, Self-Reported Population Survey". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 22 (9). NBCI.NLM.NIH.gov: e21319. doi:10.2196/21319. PMC 7485997. PMID 32870159.
- ^ "Brussels looks into potential misuse of EU funds in Spanish Koldo corruption case". Euractiv.com. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Manuel, Marraco (2 December 2024). "El Supremo cita a declarar como investigados a José Luis Ábalos, Víctor de Aldama y Koldo García". El Mundo (spanish). Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "Hasta 60 millones de euros en adjudicaciones públicas y más de 16 en comisiones: las cifras del 'caso Koldo'". El Pais (spanish). 11 October 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "El 'caso Koldo', la trama de hidrocarburos o la visita de Delcy Rodríguez: todos los escándalos de Víctor de Aldama". Antena 3 (spanish). 21 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "El 'caso Koldo', la trama de hidrocarburos o la visita de Delcy Rodríguez: todos los escándalos de Víctor de Aldama". Antena 3 (spanish). 21 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.