Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party (PP), recently asserted on social media regarding individuals linked to the "Peugeot Four" that "two cannot leave Spain because the Supreme Court has withdrawn their passport and another cannot leave the prison." This statement, shared via a tweet, refers to figures associated with the "Caso Koldo," a high-profile corruption investigation in Spain. The "Peugeot Four" is a political moniker used by the PP to describe a group including Pedro Sánchez, José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García, and Santos Cerdán, who were prominent during Sánchez's 2017 campaign to regain the PSOE leadership.
The "Caso Koldo" centers on alleged illicit commissions received in public contracts for the purchase of medical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation, led by the Audiencia Nacional, has implicated several individuals, with Koldo García Izaguirre, a former advisor to ex-minister José Luis Ábalos, being a central figure. García was arrested in February 2024 as part of the operation.
Following his arrest, Koldo García was granted provisional liberty by the Audiencia Nacional. As part of his precautionary measures, the court ordered the withdrawal of his passport and imposed a prohibition on him leaving Spanish territory. He is also required to appear before the court every 15 days. This judicial decision means García is not currently imprisoned, contrary to the assertion in Feijóo's tweet.
Regarding the other individuals mentioned in the "Peugeot Four" context, specifically José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán, judicial sources confirmed in March 2024 that neither had been formally imputed in the "Caso Koldo" at that time. Furthermore, no precautionary measures, such as passport withdrawal or prohibitions on leaving Spain, have been imposed on either Ábalos or Cerdán by the Audiencia Nacional.
The discrepancy between Feijóo's statement and the publicly available judicial information highlights the political nature of the "Peugeot Four" narrative. While the "Caso Koldo" remains an active investigation with ongoing developments, the specific legal statuses of those involved, as reported by reputable media outlets citing judicial sources, do not align with the claims made in the PP leader's tweet regarding imprisonment or the number of individuals subjected to travel bans by the Supreme Court.