Spain’s attorney general found guilty in controversial leak case

Spain’s Attorney General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz was forced to resign after being found guilty of leaking confidential information in a controversial case that inflamed the country’s political divisions.

The Supreme Court found that García Ortiz illegally leaked the tax identity details of businessman Alberto González Amador, the boyfriend of a senior conservative politician.

The court banned him from office for two years and fined him €7,200 (£6,438). He must also pay €10,000 as compensation to Mr González Amador.

García Ortiz’s trial has exacerbated already tense relations between Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-wing government and the right-wing opposition.

Reactions to the convictions highlighted their contrasting positions.

“Sanchez must in turn apologize to Spaniards, resign and hold elections,” said Esther Muñoz, spokesman for the conservative Popular Party.

The government said it disagreed with the ruling but respected it and would proceed with the appointment of a new attorney general.

However, some left-wing politicians expressed anger at what they saw as a politically motivated ruling.

Mónica García, health minister of the Soumal party, said the verdict dealt a “fatal blow to the concept of the presumption of innocence” and left ordinary Spaniards “in a difficult position” with regard to the rule of law.

The complex case dates back to March 2024, when Mr González Amador requested a plea deal after being found to have evaded taxes worth €350,951, a press release from the Attorney General’s Office said.

The filing corrects erroneous news reports that the attorney general’s office proposed the deal.

The source of the erroneous report was the communications director of Madrid’s conservative regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Ms. Díaz Ayuso is Mr. González Amador’s partner.

Mr. González Amador filed a complaint against the Attorney General, claiming that his privacy had been violated. In the case against Garcia Ortiz, he is also accused of leaking information about the incident to the media. Prosecutors pointed to the attorney general’s decision to replace the phone as incriminating.

However, there was no direct evidence linking Garcia-Ortiz to the leaks, and several reporters testified during the trial that he was not their source. Regarding the press statement, the Attorney General said he was simply correcting an erroneous report.

García Ortiz can appeal the ruling.

This is a heavy blow to the Prime Minister who is under judicial pressure on all fronts.

His brother is to be tried for influence peddling, his wife is under investigation for her business activities and two former senior figures in the Socialist party, José Luis Abalos and Santos Cerdan, are accused of overseeing a massive kickback scheme.