MADRID, April 5 -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's former right-hand man goes on trial on Tuesday in a high-profile corruption case that has tainted his Socialist party and rocked the minority government.

AFP presents the key figures in a case that revolves around ex-Socialist heavyweight Jose Luis Abalos and his alleged receipt of kickbacks for health equipment contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jose Luis Abalos 

A transport minister from 2018 until his sacking in 2021, Abalos was more than just a cabinet member-rather an architect of Sanchez's rise to power and a close confidant.

He stood by Sanchez during 2017 Socialist primaries that, against expectations, returned the Sanchez to the party leadership.

Sanchez led...