The Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard appeared this Wednesday at the headquarters of the State Attorney General’s Office by order of the judge investigating the attorney general, Alvaro Garcia Ortizfor an alleged crime of revealing secrets. The instructor, Ángel Hurtado, has issued an order in which he agrees “authorize the entry and search in the office of Álvaro García Ortiz (…) in order to proceed with the intervention of all computer devices, objects, documents and other effects that could be related to a crime of revealing secrets.”
In a second order, Hurtado has decreed the secrecy of the proceedings “for a period of one month.” The magistrate ordered the entry and search at number 4 Fortuny Street “starting at 10:00 a.m. on October 30, 2024 and during the hours that were necessary.”
It so happens that this same noon, at 1:00 p.m., the State Attorney General’s Office had called an event at its headquarters in which García Ortiz, the former attorney general Dolores Delgado and the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court would participate. , Luis Moreno Ocampo. The actnevertheless, has been canceled when there were 11 minutes left before its start. The Prosecutor’s Office has not confirmed to this newspaper whether or not the suspension is related to the Civil Guard registration.
The agents who accessed García Ortiz’s office had authorization to carry out the dumping of mobile phones and the rest of the computer devices they found inside. Agents are also authorized to seize other objects, documents “and other effects that could be related to a crime of revealing secrets“.
The order issued by Ángel Hurtado also authorizes the dumping of the emailssocial networks and other repositories that have been submitted from March 8 of this year until this Wednesday. The events that the magistrate is investigating happened precisely in mid-March, when a compliance agreement negotiated by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Madrid and Ayuso’s boyfriend was leaked so that the latter could avoid a possible imprisonment if his responsibility for two crimes is finally proven. crimes of tax fraud and another of document falsification.
The case began in the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) when González Amador denounced the publication of a press release from the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Madrid in which information about this alleged agreement was denied. The State Attorney General assumed his responsibility for that note and, finally, the TSJM submitted a reasoned statement to the Supreme Court to investigate García Ortiz, who is registered before the Criminal Chamber.
The Supreme Court responded to that letter on October 16 and, although it decided to take on the investigation and direct it against the attorney general, it said that the note did not contain “inappropriately disclosed information” because its content had already been published “by different media.” Thus, the Second Chamber marked the path for Ángel Hurtado, who must focus on the leaks to the media. The instructor took the first step this Wednesday, sending the record of García Ortiz’s office.
Five days to find a lawyer
Hours before the Civil Guard accessed the State Attorney General’s Office, the Supreme Court instructor issued another order in which has required García Ortiz to appoint a lawyer “within five days” to avoid his “defenselessness” in the face of the investigation directed against him for possible revelation of secrets.
“There is no representation on the part of Álvaro García Ortiz, so it is appropriate to require him to designate professionals to be in charge of his defense and representation, in order not to make him defenseless,” Hurtado underlines the letter. The magistrate recalls in that order that on October 18, Clean Hands requested “that the precautionary suspension of functions” by García Ortiz, “as long as the judicial process lasts.” But he adds that he will respond to this request “in a separate resolution.”