The Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard attributes to the former socialist minister José Luis Ábalos a “relevant and responsible role” in the “Koldo plot”, the case of alleged corruption in the purchase of medical supplies during the pandemic with government contracts which nestled in the Ministry of Transport which he led between January 2020 and July 2021.
This is indicated by a new report, to which elDiario.es had access, that the police unit sent to the judge of the National Court responsible for investigating the case. After receiving this report, Judge Ismael Moreno asked the President of Congress to certify whether Ábalos currently enjoys “deputy status.” In the report, the Civil Guard refers to the “Koldo-Ábalos binary” to designate the link of the businessman at the center of the plot, Víctor de Aldama, within the Ministry of Transport.
Since the PSOE excluded him from its ranks and from the parliamentary group of Congress last February, Ábalos has been part of the mixed group. As he is a member of parliament – and therefore qualified – only the Supreme Court can open proceedings against him. The judge’s movement is interpreted as a first step towards his accusation in this procedure.
“Direct relationship”
In its 233-page report, the UCO attributes the aforementioned “relevant and responsible role” in the plot to Ábalos and shows his “direct relationship” with Koldo García, who was his personal advisor and one of the main people involved in the plot. crime. case; and Víctor de Aldama, the alleged getter and whom investigators consider to be the “initiator” of the criminal organization.
According to the summary of the file, the businessman knew that the mask contracts would be subject to a call for tenders before being approved. He thus earned 6.6 million euros, according to investigators. And he did it thanks to his “unique and direct relationship” with Koldo García which, in turn, provided him with a “virtually unlimited level of access to the sphere of the ministry, including to the minister himself”.
The new UCO report limits to Ábalos the final order that led a public entity within the scope of the ministry – State Ports – to conclude a contract with the suspected company: Management Solutions. This contract amounted to 20 million euros. The police document includes email exchanges between senior officials of this entity which show that it was Ábalos himself who “was in charge” of the contract.
“I told him (sic) that he was taking the steps directly,” wrote to Koldo García the former Secretary General of State Ports, Álvaro Sánchez Manzanares – indicted and dismissed from office in March – in reference to Ábalos. The researchers argue that the then minister’s actions “would have been crucial to the execution of the contract between Puertos del Estado and Soluciones de Gestión, whether or not there were subsequent offers offering better conditions.”
For the first time, a police document certifies the “consideration” that Ábalos would have received thanks to his efforts. The report reveals that Aldama paid the rent for months for the apartment where a woman, named Jessica, who was at the time the former minister’s romantic partner, resided. The monthly rent was 2,700 euros. And the businessman paid a total of nearly 82,298 euros through an alleged nominee and people and companies under his control.
On the other hand, the UCO also considers that there is “multiple evidence” that Ábalos made “real use” of a chalet located in the La Alcaidesa urbanization, near Sotogrande (Cádiz), purchased by Aldama.
