Madrid, April 29, 2026 Spanish PM Sánchez accused in mask corruption scandal
A key witness has directly implicated Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the top of an alleged corruption hierarchy involving the unlawful awarding of multi-million-euro mask contracts during the pandemic, according to court documents and testimony.
Bribery and Contract Manipulation
José Luis Ábalos, a former high-ranking government official, stands accused of accepting bribes to secure lucrative public contracts for face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors allege that Ábalos abused his position to steer deals toward businessman Víctor de Aldama, who has now turned whistleblower in the case.
The prosecution claims the scheme involved systematic favoritism and kickbacks, with contracts worth millions of euros awarded without proper oversight. Víctor de Aldama, a central figure in the investigation, stated that Sánchez held the highest position in the alleged hierarchy. In a verbatim quote in German, he said: *"Wenn es in diesem Fall eine Hierarchie gibt, dann habe Sánchez 'an der Spitze' gestanden, gefolgt von Ábalos und García."* ("If there is a hierarchy in this case, Sánchez stood 'at the top,' followed by Ábalos and García.")
Legal Proceedings and Potential Sentences
The trial, set to conclude by the end of the month, will hear testimony from more than 75 witnesses and around 20 experts. Prosecutors are seeking a 24-year prison sentence for Ábalos, underscoring the severity of the charges.