Supreme Court Probes Possible Misconduct in Attorney General's Office Amid Allegations of Evidence Tampering
Supreme Court magistrate Ángel Hurtado has ordered the security service of the Attorney General's Office to ensure the preservation of recordings from the institution's courtyard amid serious allegations of impropriety involving Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz and his deputy. This move comes after a complaint was filed, detailing suspicious interactions during a raid conducted on October 30.
The Independent Professional Association of Prosecutors (Apif) is pushing for the summoning of a Supreme Court prosecutor as a witness to the events that unfolded during the raid at the Fortuny headquarters. As late as 7:00 PM on that date, this prosecutor reportedly witnessed María Ángeles Sánchez Conde, the Supreme Court's chief prosecutor, engaged in reviewing a mobile phone along with García Ortiz in the courtyard, all while agents from the Civil Guard's Central Operative Unit (UCO) continued their investigation.
Such an interaction raises serious concerns regarding the integrity of the investigative process as it involved a prosecutor assigned to a case examining critical evidence with a suspect without the presence of legal counsel. This situation led to Apif labeling the occurrence as 'surprising' and indicative of potential misconduct.
In response, Magistrate Hurtado has mandated that the security services retain the footage captured by cameras in the central courtyard, specifically from 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM on the day in question, until further court decisions are made regarding its use.
The implications of this investigation are profound, as Judge Hurtado is scrutinizing whether García Ortiz and Patricia Rodríguez, the provincial prosecutor of Madrid, may have committed offenses related to the unlawful disclosure of information. This inquiry stems from an email exchange involving Alberto González Amador, a partner of the Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, where he allegedly proposed a deal to the Prosecutor's Office that included confessions to two tax crimes. These crimes involved defrauding more than €350,000 from profits acquired through the sale of masks during the pandemic period.
The involvement of the Attorney General in this potential leak reported by Ayuso's associate has raised red flags for investigators. They are following a timeline set forth by the judge, focusing on events between March 8 and March 14, during which they aim to examine further instances of misconduct and ascertain the full scope of the situation.
As the investigation proceeds, it will be critical to observe how the Supreme Court addresses these allegations and what actions may be taken against those involved in what appears to be a troubling breach of legal protocol.
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