Corruption scandal in Spain: Bought lies and a hero of the right

For a long time there was only the suspicion that the right-wing opposition was behind many of the accusations against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his political and personal environment. There is talk of a lawfare – a judicial war – in Spain. Now, three weeks before the new elections on November 29th, the suspicion is confirmed.

The conservative Partido Popular (PP) indirectly paid Koldo García, who was imprisoned for corruption and has since been convicted. He was the right-hand man of the former transport minister and organizational secretary of the socialist PSOE, José Luis Ábalos, who was also convicted. What is it about? García gave a long interview to the online publication Okdiario, which was published in several parts. In it he made accusations against Sánchez and his wife Begoña Gómez, which later turned out to be baseless lies. Okdiario then paid a lawyer close to the PP over 250,000 euros for García's defense.

Okdiario is financed primarily through institutional advertising from conservatively governed regions and municipalities. The Madrid region alone under the right-wing populist Isabel Ayuso has paid over two million euros to the online medium in the last six years.

Coincidence or not – PP leader Alberto Nuñez Feijóo made some of the allegations that García later “confirmed” without evidence in the interview weeks earlier in a parliamentary question time. For example, that Sánchez financed his primary election campaign for PSOE party leadership with money from the gay clubs that his father-in-law once ran.

However, Okdiario editor and interviewer Eduardo Inda was not satisfied with the result of the interview. What García had to offer wasn't explosive enough for him. As a result, García now accuses the PP, he was offered one million euros and a reduction in his sentence. Provided that he steps up and helps to overthrow Sánchez. But García didn't want this. He was ultimately sentenced to 19 years and 8 months and his boss Ábalos to 24 years in prison.

How could the PP offer reduced sentences? The TV channel La Séptima suspects that judges also benefit from the money distributed through Okdiario. The medium regularly organizes series of events on the subject of justice. High-ranking judges are invited there and receive 1,000 euros for short contributions plus a weekend in a luxury hotel.

“Koldo is trying to make an Aldama,” headlined the editor of the online newspaper eldiario.es, Ignacio Escolar, in a column. And everyone in Spain understands what that means. Victor Aldama earned millions with overpriced protective masks during the corona pandemic. To do this, he bribed García and Ábalos. But in the middle of the investigation, he suddenly began “cooperating with the justice system.”

He accused Sánchez of being the head of the corruption plot and of handing over bags full of money to the Socialists' headquarters. However, he had no evidence. Aldama was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in the mask case; but was allowed to remain at large. He didn't have to give back the 3.5 million euros he made from the mask deal.

Since then, he has been the hero of the right in the fight against the Sánchez government. Aldama appears on right-wing talk shows and is cheered at demonstrations calling for Sánchez's resignation. García and Ábalos are currently behind bars.

Eldiario.es speaks of “an incident of extreme gravity”. "A defendant was allegedly bribed to incriminate innocent people with lies. A party buys a witness statement to overthrow a government," writes Escolar. While the PP denies everything and talks about an “election campaign circus,” the PSOE hopes that the scandal will mobilize its electorate.