Spain’s Attorney General arrived at the Supreme Court in Madrid on Wednesday to testify as a suspect in a legal leaks case, one of several affairs embarrassing socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority coalition government. ALSO READ: Spain’s Supreme Court summons attorney general over suspected leaks.
Álvaro García Ortiz (main image) is suspected of leaking secret legal documents about the partner of the populist president of the Madrid regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso from the right-wing People’s Party(PP). His court appearance is unprecedented in Spanish legal history.
Ortiz quickly entered the Madrid court without responding to journalists gathered outside.
Spanish media published in March last year a draft agreement between the public prosecutor’s office and the lawyer of businessman Alberto González Amador, who is under investigation for alleged tax fraud.
Amador offered a deal to prosecutors in which he would admit the alleged offences in exchange for avoiding a trial, media reported based on the leak. ALSO READ: Partner of Madrid regional leader Ayuso faces alleged tax fraud probe.
The Supreme Court began investigating Ortiz in October after a complaint by Amador, who saw the earnings of his health company soar during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. ALSO READ: Madrid leader’s partner takes legal steps to sue Pedro Sánchez for calling him a ‘criminal’.
The court ruled this month that preliminary findings provided a ‘base of evidence’ to suspect Ortiz’s involvement in the revelations.
Ortiz, nominated by Sánchez’s government in 2022, has denied leaking information about Amador either directly or via his office.
The affair became politicised with Ayuso’s right-wing opposition PP group demanding Ortiz’s resignation.
Ayuso, a darling of the Spanish right who frequently lambasts Sánchez, has denounced a ‘savage’ campaign by the ‘powers of the state’ and says allies of the prime minister organised the leak.
Corruption investigations are also targeting Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez and his brother David Sánchez, providing the opposition with more ammunition to attack his fragile coalition government. ALSO READ: Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish PM, denies wrongdoing in graft investigation hearing.
🔴 El Fiscal General del Estado, Álvaro García Ortiz ,ha llegado al Tribunal Supremo. Lo hace para declarar como investigado por las filtraciones del caso de la pareja de Ayuso.
📌Más información: https://t.co/ES8IT5vXGw
En @BuenosDiasTM en 📡DIRECTO: https://t.co/YXV9QAPK3j pic.twitter.com/SIDwksPE9I— Telemadrid (@telemadrid) January 29, 2025
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