Sánchez Testifies in Corruption Case, Denying Ties to Key Figures

During his appearance before the commission, despite the confrontational tone and constant evasions of questions, the Prime Minister provided answers that directly addressed his alleged connection with individuals involved in the judicial investigations. Pedro Sánchez repeatedly denied knowing Víctor de Aldama, the businessman allegedly involved in kickbacks received by former minister José Luis Ábalos and his advisor Koldo García. Despite this response, García was Ábalos's trusted man, who in turn had a close relationship with Sánchez since accompanying him in his campaign to lead the party. Another point of questioning was the decision to remove Ábalos from the ministry in 2021, a decision Sánchez attributed to a government crisis to manage the pandemic de-escalation. To the question of whether his wife, Begoña Gómez, intervened in the rescue of Air Europa during the pandemic, Sánchez responded with a flat 'no'. A senator from the PP asked if his brother, David Sánchez, resided in the Portuguese city of Elvas, but the president refused to answer, stating it was outside the commission's scope. However, he was shown a photograph of the two posing together at a rally. Regarding the Plus Ultra rescue, Sánchez stated he was unaware of former President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's mediation or that the visit of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was related to the matter. Sánchez described his relationship with Koldo García, Ábalos's 'go-to man', as 'absolutely anecdotal'. He also acknowledged that Ábalos enjoyed his 'maximum political trust' due to his clear qualities as a politician, but claimed he was unaware of his 'habits and daily life'.