Ex-Minister Ábalos Gets 24 Years for COVID Mask Bribes
Making money on pandemic procurement turns out to come with a hefty quarter-century price tag in Spain.
The Supreme Court in Spain just handed down a massive sentence to former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos: 24 years and 3 months behind bars. During the peak of the 2020 COVID outbreak, he was taking kickbacks on emergency mask procurement contracts and handing out cozy state jobs to his female friends.
His trusted assistant Koldo García got 19 years for running the extortion scheme, while the businessman who snitched on everyone walked away with a suspended sentence and some community service. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is watching his party crumble, with his own wife Begoña Gómez already facing corruption charges.
Stealing public money during a global lockdown turns out to be a very expensive career choice.
Source: EFE
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