The Supreme Court plans to hold an initial hearing on 6 February to address the challenges presented by the defence before starting the trial against former minister José Luis Ábalos and his former adviser Koldo García over the mask contracts, which is expected to begin in April. Legal sources have reported that the president of the court, Andrés Martínez Arrieta, held a meeting with the parties involved to coordinate the conduct of the trial, after the former minister’s new lawyer notified the Supreme Court that his March schedule is full of appointments related to the Púnica case. The Supreme Court had planned to start the trial at the end of February or early March, hence the meeting with the involved parties. Additionally, it is expected that a preliminary hearing will take place on 6 February, which is a preliminary step to the trial to address issues such as preliminary matters, nullities, acceptance of evidence, and possible agreements.
