Spanish judge indicts ex-minister Ábalos's former partner and two others in Koldo corruption case
Jéssica Rodríguez, the former girlfriend of convicted ex-minister José Luis Ábalos, faces charges of influence peddling and embezzlement over no-show jobs at two state-owned companies.
The new indictments
Judge Ismael Moreno of Spain's Audiencia Nacional indicted Jéssica Rodríguez, Joseba García (brother of Ábalos's former advisor Koldo García), and Ignacio Zaldívar, a former senior ADIF official, on 3 July 2026. All three have been summoned to testify as formal suspects on 20 July. The move follows a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and comes days after the Supreme Court sentenced Ábalos to 24 years in prison and Koldo García to 19 years and eight months in the related mask-procurement case.
The hiring scheme
The Supreme Court ruling, cited by prosecutors, found that Rodríguez was hired by public engineering firm Ineco from 1 March 2019 to 28 February 2021 and then by Tragsatec from 2 March 2021 to 1 September 2021. She collected a total of €43,978.40 without performing any work, according to company records. The court described a plan orchestrated by Ábalos and Koldo García to place Rodríguez in a paid position while ensuring she faced no labour controls. Joseba García, who worked at Ineco, was instructed to cover for her, and Zaldívar, then ADIF's director of administrative management, facilitated the Tragsatec contract after receiving instructions from the minister.
Taking advantage of his privileged position as minister, Ábalos conceived and carried out a plan to use all his influence so that Jessica Rodríguez would be hired by a public company … in order for her to receive a salary without having to perform any work.
Ábalos's response
The former transport minister, now serving a 24-year sentence, posted on social media that the new indictments prove his case was "closed falsely." He argued that the ongoing investigation is bringing fresh evidence, some of it exculpatory, and that the Supreme Court "judged people, not facts."
The investigation remains open, it is contributing new evidence, some exculpatory, and new indictments.
What comes next
The three suspects will appear before Judge Moreno on 20 July. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office maintains that Rodríguez's hiring is "intimately connected" to the broader Koldo case, which continues to examine alleged kickbacks and influence-peddling networks linked to the former minister's inner circle.
- Rodríguez begins contract at Ineco, arranged by Ábalos and Koldo García.
- Ineco contract ends. Rodríguez collected €34,422.16 without working.
- Rodríguez starts at Tragsatec after ADIF's Zaldívar intervenes at the minister's request.
- Tragsatec contract ends. Total payments reach €43,978.40.
- Rodríguez testifies at the Supreme Court, admitting she performed no work.
- Supreme Court sentences Ábalos to 24 years and Koldo García to 19 years and 8 months.
- Judge Moreno indicts Rodríguez, Joseba García, and Zaldívar.
- Scheduled testimony of the three suspects at the Audiencia Nacional.
