Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had no ties with an alleged corruption scheme whose trial has rocked the left-wing government, a key defendant in the case told a court on Thursday.
The trial of Sánchez’s former right-hand man José Luis Ábalos is just one of several investigations into alleged corruption by the Socialist premier’s family and ex-political allies that have raised doubts about the government’s viability.
Ábalos, a former transport minister and Socialist heavyweight who helped propel Sánchez to power in 2018, is accused of earning kickbacks for the irregular awarding of contracts for face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors say Abalos abused his position in government to allow businessman Victor de Aldama to land the lucrative contracts, with ex-adviser Koldo García acting as the key intermediary.
Ábalos and García, who face up to 24 and 19 years in jail respectively if convicted, deny the allegations against them.
Aldama told the Supreme Court in Madrid on Wednesday that Sanchez was at the apex of a criminal structure that rigged the contracts and illegally funded his party, which the Socialists described as “slander”.
García riposted as he took the stand on Thursday, denying Sánchez had any knowledge of the alleged plot.
“Common sense, please. No, it’s not true,” García told the court, saying he never spoke with Sánchez about matters related to the case.
Asked about an order for masks that swelled from four million units to eight million, García denied deliberately inflating the purchase for personal gain, saying he acted for the general interest.
“What I did was try to look for health equipment… if I had got 20 million masks, or 20 million worth of health equipment, I would have asked for it to be brought over,” he said.
The hearings were scheduled to finish this week, but their length prompted the court to extend the sessions to Monday and Tuesday, with Ábalos still due to speak.
The case has damaged Sánchez, who came to power vowing to clean up Spanish politics after the main conservative Popular Party was convicted in its own graft affair.
The Socialists’ turmoil has rocked relations with their far-left junior coalition partner Sumar and an array of fringe and regional separatist parties whose support is essential to pass legislation.
Sanchez’s wife Begoña Gómez and his brother David face separate corruption investigations that have maintained pressure on the government.
The conservative and far-right opposition have pounced on the legal woes to demand Sánchez’s resignation and elections, but the prime minister plans to see out his term until the next scheduled vote in 2027.