What are the highest charges that the ex-transport minister José Luis Ábalos and his former aide Koldo García face in the so-called "caso mascarillas" (masks case)?

 

In the “caso mascarillas” (also known as the «caso Koldo»), both former Spanish transport minister José Luis Ábalos and his former aide Koldo García are facing very serious criminal charges as they go on trial in the Tribunal Supremo (Spain’s Supreme Court). The prosecution’s demands and the charges attributed to them outline the worst‑case legal consequences they could face:

🧑‍⚖️ Highest Charges They Face

José Luis Ábalos
The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office has asked for up to 24 years in prison for Ábalos, based on the following alleged crimes:

• Organization criminal (participating in an illicit criminal group)
• Cohecho pasivo (passive bribery)
• Tráfico de influencias (influence peddling)
• Malversación de caudales públicos (embezzlement of public funds)
• Uso y aprovechamiento de información privilegiada (use of privileged information)
• Falsedad en documento oficial (falsification of official documents)
• Prevaricación (abuse of authority / immoral official decision)

Koldo García
For Ábalos’s former aide, the prosecution has requested a sentence of about 19½ years in prison, based on similar charges connected to the alleged corrupt scheme involving mask procurement during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Those charges essentially mirror the same catalogue of criminal offences cited in the indictment:

• Organized crime participation
• Passive bribery
• Influence peddling
• Embezzlement of public funds
• Various related public office offences

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📌 Context of the Allegations

Prosecutors allege that Ábalos, García, and a businessman (Víctor de Aldama) formed a trama to profit from lucrative mask contracts during the early stages of the pandemic, steering public procurement in ways that benefited a private company and produced illegal commissions. Ábalos and García deny wrongdoing as the trial unfolds.

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⚖️ Maximum Sentences vs. Requests

• The 24‑year request for Ábalos and roughly 19‑year request for García are what prosecutors are seeking — these represent the high end of potential penalties if convicted on all counts.
• Some public accusations from political parties have even sought higher terms (up to ~30 years), though those are not the formal prosecutorial requests.

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✅ In summary:

• Ábalos could face up to 24 years in prison on multiple corruption‑related charges in the masks case.
• Koldo García faces up to around 19½ years under the same indictment.
  These reflect some of the most serious white‑collar criminal offences in Spanish law related to misuse of public office and corruption.