SPAIN’s former Minister of Transport has been pictured leading a lavish lifestyle shortly after he allegedly received kickbacks during the Covid pandemic, it can be revealed.
Exclusive photographs released by investigative outlet El Español show Jose Luis Abalos, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s former right-hand man, enjoying luxury holidays and yacht trips in the aftermath of the crisis in 2021 and 2022.
Abalos has been at the centre of a major corruption scandal alongside his aide, Koldo Garcia, after allegedly receiving kickbacks linked to €500 million worth of public contracts – some awarded without competitive tender – for the purchase of masks and other sanitary equipment during the pandemic.
The so-called ‘Koldo case’ has cast a shadow over Sanchez’s tenure since it emerged in 2024, with opposition parties repeatedly calling for the Prime Minister’s resignation.
The newly released photographic evidence adds to mounting pressure on Abalos and Garcia, who now face potential prison sentences of 24 and 19 years respectively, on the day of their first hearing before the Supreme Court (Tuesday, April 7).
READ MORE: Former Sanchez right-hand man in fresh corruption probe over missing €95k
In the material released by El Español, Abalos and his entourage can be seen enjoying luxury experiences across a range of destinations, including Venice (Italy), Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), Bogota (Colombia), Havana (Cuba), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Paris (France), Douala (Cameroon), and several cities in Thailand.
According to the same outlet, he travelled to several of these locations by private jet.
In the photographs, the former transport minister is seen in the company of his wife, Carolina Perles, as well as his two former girlfriends, Jessica Rodriguez and Andrea De La Torre.
In one image taken in May 2021, Abalos appears enjoying a gondola ride in Venice alongside De la Torre, despite still being married to Perles at the time.
In August of the same year, Abalos travelled to Punta Cana with Perles, Garcia, and gynaecologist Ignacio Palomo.
READ MORE: Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defends government’s actions over ongoing Covid mask scandal
Palomo’s company, Grupo Arpa, was awarded a €600,000 public contract during the pandemic to supply Covid tests that, according to allegations, later turned out to be fake and lacked EU certification.
Abalos later flew to Equatorial Guinea with De la Torre and Garcia, where he was photographed smiling beneath a portrait of local dictator Teodoro Obiang.
Further trips followed, including a September visit to Colombia, where Abalos was pictured relaxing in an open-air swimming pool at dusk with De La Torre.
By December, he had separated from his wife, and more trips with De la Torre ensued, with the pair travelling alongside Garcia to destinations including Cuba, Cameroon, Acapulco (Mexico), Thailand and Morocco within a six-month period in 2022.
Abalos and Garcia were also photographed aboard the ‘Albatros,’ a 5.8-metre yacht flying the Italian flag that Garcia bought in August 2022.
However, their lifestyle now comes under scrutiny as they face a 13-session trial before the Supreme Court, with more than 75 witnesses and 20 experts expected to take the stand.
The defendants are scheduled to give evidence on April 28, with closing arguments set for April 30.
Abalos and Garcia have been held at Soto del Real prison in Madrid since November last year.
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