Ábalos' former advisor, Koldo García, will be released after refusing to testify for the irregular commissions

The judge of the National Court Ismael Moreno has released the former advisor of former minister José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García, after refusing to testify in the case of alleged irregular commissions during the pandemic.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
21 February 2024 Wednesday 15:22
7 Reads
Ábalos' former advisor, Koldo García, will be released after refusing to testify for the irregular commissions

The judge of the National Court Ismael Moreno has released the former advisor of former minister José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García, after refusing to testify in the case of alleged irregular commissions during the pandemic. However, the instructor has agreed to the prohibition of leaving the country, the withdrawal of the passport and the obligation to appear in court every 15 days. The same precautionary measures have been established for Víctor Aldama.

According to legal sources, whoever was one of Ábalos' trusted men will be released once the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has refused to request his entry into prison after his arrest last Tuesday.

Along with García, the Civil Guard has brought four other people to justice, including Víctor de Aldama, president of the C.F. Zamora, García's brother and a Basque businessman, who were detained in the operation carried out this Tuesday by the Central Operational Unit (UCO).

The judge has determined for the businessman, Iñigo Rotaeche, a ban on leaving the country and the withdrawal of his passport, while for Koldo's brother, Joseba García, he remains under investigation but without any precautionary measure.

Following an Anti-Corruption complaint, the judge is investigating whether Koldo García used a front company to fraudulently obtain contracts at a time of emergency in the middle of the pandemic.

The company, Soluciones de Gestión y Apoyo a Empresas S.L., went from billing zero euros to 53 million euros at the time of the pandemic in 2020. It is being investigated whether García used his contacts as an advisor in a Ministry to obtain contacts with other administrations, such as Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as with public companies such as Adif, of which he was appointed as a director.

In fact, as stated in a resolution of the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the National Court, the Tax Agency came to claim a debt of 269,989 euros for the Corporate Tax for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 and which was paid with a bank guarantee.

The investigations indicate that Ábalos's deputy may also have received irregular commissions in exchange for contracts. Investigation sources maintain that the former minister does not appear involved in the case, at least in this first initial moment.

The investigation began following a complaint from the PP of Madrid about this company. The Prosecutor's Office opened proceedings and with the evidence collected decided to file a complaint at the National Court.