Spanish PM's ex-top aide takes stand at graft trial

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MADRID: José Luis Ábalos, former transport minister and a key ally to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, took the stand Wednesday as a central suspect in a high-profile corruption trial.

Ábalos is accused of influence peddling and bribery related to the irregular awarding of face mask contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prosecutors allege he abused his position to secure lucrative deals for businessman Víctor de Aldama, receiving cash and luxury favors in return.

The trial, seeking a 24-year sentence for Ábalos, is one of several scandals currently threatening Sánchez’s fragile minority coalition. With the Prime Minister’s wife and brother also facing separate investigations, opposition parties are intensifying demands for his resignation.

Although Sánchez denies any wrongdoing, this case severely undermines his original 2018 pledge to clean up Spanish politics.

Photo Credits: AFP