Why Does the Judge in the 'Koldo Case' Refuse to Request the Tapes of Delcy with Ábalos?

José Luis Ábalos has become the focus of the investigation into the 'Koldo case' following the decision by the Congress of Deputies to withdraw his parliamentary immunity. However, despite the seriousness of the case in question, the judge leading the investigation assures that he doesn't need the tapes captured at Barajas. In these, the Venezuelan tyranny's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, is seen in European territory when she was prohibited from entering the Schengen area.

The National Court magistrate, Ismael Moreno, in charge of investigating the Koldo case, has reaffirmed his refusal to include the Barajas airport recordings in the case. These correspond to the night when the then Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, met with Delcy Rodríguez. According to a court order accessed by El Confidencial, the judge considers that these records are not relevant to the case at this time.

The controversial visit of the Venezuelan official, which occurred on January 20, 2020, recently marked its fifth anniversary. Rodríguez was prohibited from entering European territory due to sanctions related to human rights violations in Venezuela.

Initially, these events were investigated by an ordinary court in Madrid, which provisionally archived the case as no evidence of a crime was found. However, since it wasn't a definitive archive, the recordings have remained under judicial custody since then.

The Investigative Court number 31 of Madrid is responsible for deciding the fate of the images. This is because the statute of limitations for a possible crime of administrative malfeasance would expire after five years. Judicial sources reported that the court's head was absent on leave last week and hasn't yet made a decision on the matter.

In an attempt to prevent the destruction of the tapes, the Vox party requested the National Court to claim the material to ensure its preservation. Meanwhile, the case summary reveals that Delcy Rodríguez's visit was planned weeks in advance. Additionally, businessman Víctor de Aldama participated in its organization, a fact that the Government would have kept hidden at the time.