The businessman Víctor de Aldama arrived this Monday at the Supreme Court in Madrid to testify as a defendant in the “Koldo case”. “Koldo case”, an investigationan investigation into the alleged irregular awarding of public contracts during the pandemic for the purchase of health material. The appointment before the judge Leopoldo Puente occurs after the recent statements of the former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos, also implicated in the case. De Aldama has gone to court in a black car, with a black folder under his arm, accompanied by his lawyer and escorted by Daniel Esteve, owner of the company Desokupa. Esteve, who merely accompanied the businessman to the side entrance of the court building on Marqués de la Ensenada street, had already anticipated on social networks that today could bring “surprises”. According to sources close to the businessman, he intends to maintain his accusations before the Supreme Court and could even provide new evidence, as he hinted in a recent interview to a Colombian radio station. This evidence could strengthen his version of events, which also implicates other relevant actors in the case.
Statements and accusations
De Aldama’s appearance comes after a brief filed by the businessman himself before the Supreme Court, in which he claims that he agreed with Ábalos the delivery of an apartment in Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, valued at 1.9 million euros, as a guarantee of future payments that several construction companies would make as commissions in exchange for pre-awarded public works contracts. According to the businessman, the requests for gifts were constant and, in addition to cash payments, included the payment of rent for an apartment in Torre Madrid occupied by a third person linked to the former minister.
In his previous statement before the National Court, De Aldama estimated the alleged bribes to Ábalos at 600,000 euros. He also pointed to other senior officials and members of the Government, such as the minister Ángel Víctor Torres, the head of the Treasury Cabinet, Carlos Moreno, and the secretary of organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán. For his part, former minister Ábalos flatly denied these accusations in his voluntary statement before the examining magistrate. He assured that he did not receive commissions for the purchase of health material during the pandemic and described De Aldama’s statements as unfounded.
Koldo Case
The ‘Koldo case’ revolves around a plot of alleged irregular awards during the most critical moments of the pandemic. In this context, the figure of De Aldama has gained special relevance not only for his statements, but also for his judicial record. The businessman had already been investigated by Judge Ismael Moreno of the Audiencia Nacional in a separate case of hydrocarbon fraud, which led to his remand in custody. He is currently at liberty following a request for his release by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
Today could mark a turning point in the investigation, depending on the data that De Aldama presents before Magistrate Leopoldo Puente. Meanwhile, media and political attention is focused on a case that threatens to splash key government figures and unveil a corruption scheme in the management of the pandemic.
