The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court has dismissed the appeals filed by the defenses of former minister José Luis Ábalos and his advisor Koldo García against the decision by Judge Leopoldo Puente to send them to prison. The magistrates noted that the evidence against both is increasingly solid and that the “flow of evidence” continues to grow.
The flow of evidence has not stopped growing with every new information available, which makes the indications regarding the participation of José Luis Ábalos Meco in these crimes more solid.
The Appellate Chamber, following the hearing held last Thursday, maintains the imprisonment agreed upon on November 27 to prevent the high risk that both may evade justice. This decision is based on the severity of the penalties requested by the prosecution, the strength of the evidence, and the imminent start of the oral trial for the purchase of masks by agencies dependent on the Ministry of Transport.
The magistrates highlighted the existence of serious crimes in this case, including criminal organization, bribery, influence peddling, and embezzlement. The chamber was composed of Judges Juan Ramón Berdugo, Antonio del Moral, and Pablo Llarena, and heard arguments from the Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, Alejandro Luzón, and the unified popular prosecution, represented by the lawyer for the PP.
