José Luis Ábalos has assured that the accusation of supplying one million euros through an alleged “hydrocarbon attack” does not correspond to the content of the police reports. The former socialist minister explained that, according to the Central Operational Unit (UCO) report, the funds identified, namely 680,000 euros, were used to purchase a house in La Alcaidesa, Cádiz, while the rest of the aforementioned sum would have ended up in the hands of a person identified as Aldama. Ábalos also clarified that he only made rental payments and paid three monthly installments before being forced to leave the house. Nowhere in the UCO report does it say that the former minister received one million euros. These statements are part of a written interview broadcast by the Spanish television program “Mañaneros 360” and collected by Europa Press. In it, Ábalos confronted other allegations and stressed that there was no evidence linking him to the illegal financing of his party during his time as organizing secretary.
According to Europa Press, Ábalos denied any irregular handling of funds within the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) “at least” during his tenure in the organizing secretariat. He also claimed that there was a lack of elements that could implicate the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, in possible crimes or illegal activities. When asked about the alleged possession of incriminating evidence against the head of the executive branch, Ábalos assured that he had no evidence in this regard.
The former minister also referred to his relationship with Koldo García, a former adviser and cellmate at Soto del Real prison. He noted that coexistence is appropriate, but acknowledged that the small space of a cell creates difficulties and that there is a lack of customs for this situation. “Obviously we had to learn to live together in the small space of a cell. And no one is designed for that or used to it,” Ábalos said, according to Europa Press.
When asked about the possibility of escape, Ábalos ruled out this option and described the idea as “completely absurd”. He argued that he has family and personal roots in Spain and emphasized his responsibility as the father of a minor child and the legal obligation to comply with the relevant maintenance payments. From their point of view, there is no reason to suspect a possible escape.
In the interview cited by Europa Press, Ábalos interpreted his detention as an attempt to remove him both from the political sphere and from his role as an elected representative in Congress. According to him, the deprivation of his freedom prevents him from representing the interests of the citizens who voted for him in the elections. He criticized the speed with which the congressional committee handled the administrative proceedings aimed at depriving him of his seat, believing that the decision should have been postponed until his appeal against the interim detention measure was decided.
Regarding the audio recordings attributed to his voice, which were allegedly recorded by his former advisor, Ábalos stated that he did not recognize himself in these recordings, an argument that would have been expertly confirmed by Santos Cerdán, the former organizing secretary of the PSOE. Ábalos expects that these files will be the subject of legal discussion in the future trial and expressed his intention to request the cancellation of this evidence. In addition, according to information obtained by Europa Press, he expressed confidence in the legal process and in the possibility of clarification of his situation, stating: “I hope that the truth will come to light, but above all that it will also be shown that this entire investigation is flawed and contaminated from the beginning.”
In another part of the interview, Ábalos discussed the impact that the situation could have on his political and personal legacy. He assumed that the public’s perception of his character would depend on the outcome of the trial and expected that he would not be the only one remembered for these events.
As Europa Press reported, the defense of Ábalos, who was in temporary prison in connection with the “Koldo case”, presented this Tuesday a brief asking the Supreme Court to entrust the prosecution of the alleged irregularities in the acquisition of masks during the pandemic to a popular jury made up of citizens. Ábalos appears to be the first active national lawmaker to go to prison, facing up to 30 years in prison for his alleged involvement in irregularities in the purchase of medical supplies.
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