ltejadabNew findings in the mask contracts put more pressure on the government.
Spain’s Supreme Court decided that José Luis Ábalos, who was Transport Minister before,
and his adviser Koldo García have to go to prison before the trial starts. The judge said they
could try to escape, and because the case has possible corruption, he thinks it is better to
keep them inside. He also said the situation is serious and that things are not clear yet, so
they cannot wait at home like before.
At the beginning, they only had some simple rules. They had to go to court every two weeks
and they couldn’t leave Spain, and also their passports were taken. It looked enough, but
later the judge said the investigation is finding more details that look bad and maybe show
more corruption, so the old measures are not strong for the moment.
The case is about mask contracts during COVID-19. The prosecutors believe that these two
men, and maybe some other people, used the pandemic moment to get money for
themselves. They are accused of bribery, using political power in a wrong way, and taking
public money. A lot of people in Spain think this fits with other political corruption problems,
so the case is getting bigger in the news.
Impact of the corruption accusations on Spanish Politics and Public Opinion
Now they have to go to Soto del Real prison. It is strange because Ábalos is still a member
of parliament, but when a deputy goes to prison he cannot continue his job. He loses the
right to vote, he cannot go to debates or talk in the chamber, and he also stops getting his
salary. This shows the corruption accusations are something serious and not a small
problem.
Many citizens in Spain talk a lot about corruption because they are tired of these cases.
Newspapers, TV and social media mention it every day. When the trial starts, it will probably
get even more attention, and many people will follow the news to see what happens next.
