José Luis Ábalos, former minister in Pedro Sánchez’s government, is seeking a way to overturn his involvement in the Koldo case. The former Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, who announced in December that he would request the nullity of the case surrounding him in the Supreme Court, has intensified his battle with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in recent weeks to prove, in his opinion, that the Guardia Civil had investigated him before Congress approved the request to formally charge him (the permission for the justice system to act against a public figure). This offensive by the former socialist leader has led to the presentation of a new appeal on Friday to try to annul the case, and was evident in his statement as a suspect on December 12 before the high court, where he voluntarily appeared and faced off on this issue with Alejandro Luzón, chief prosecutor of Anti-Corruption, who questioned him that day.
The tension was evident during the hearing, with Luzón telling Ábalos that he had not been investigated at all, to which Ábalos responded defiantly. The background dispute will have to be resolved by the high court when it rules on the appeals by the former minister. Ábalos argues that he has been subject to an illegal investigation by the UCO of the Guardia Civil before Congress had approved the request. He cites an incident on November 4, 2023, when agents intercepted an envelope addressed to him that was being carried by Joseba García, the brother of Koldo García, his advisor during his time in the ministry.
Ábalos has also claimed to be undergoing a “parallel trial”, exacerbated by the continuous leaks to the press of details from the case file. He mentioned the release of a video of his Supreme Court statement on January 2 in a tweet, calling for an investigation into the release of the footage. His defense argues that the media was disseminating images of the interrogation before he had seen them: “Those who must first have knowledge of them are the Public Ministry and the parties involved, not the media, as has happened.” His lawyer has requested an investigation into these leaks to Magistrate Puente. Ábalos emphasized the continuous leaks during the case, stating that they were intended to create a parallel media trial and damage his personal, social, and political credibility.
In his ongoing battle with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, Ábalos has filed a new appeal to challenge the case against him. He claims that he was investigated by the Guardia Civil before legal authorization, citing incidents where confidential documents meant for him were intercepted by law enforcement. He also asserts that his case has been plagued by leaks to the media, causing a parallel trial in the public eye. In response to the leaks of his Supreme Court hearing footage, Ábalos has requested an investigation into the matter, highlighting the unfair treatment he believes he is receiving compared to other high-profile cases. The outcome of this legal battle will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, as Ábalos seeks to clear his name and overcome the charges against him in the Koldo case.
