Guardia Civil Confirms Change of Phone by Attorney General Following Supreme Court Investigation

Fri 3rd Jan, 2025
The Central Operational Unit of the Guardia Civil has submitted a report to the Supreme Court indicating that Álvaro García Ortiz, the Attorney General of Spain, switched his mobile device on October 23, shortly after the court initiated an investigation against him for the alleged revelation of confidential information. This change occurred just prior to a court order directing investigators to seize his mobile phones and email accounts. According to the Guardia Civil, no relevant information was found on these devices, with the Attorney General's office asserting that the phone change was a standard internal procedure for data security and protection. On October 30, following a directive from Judge Ángel Hurtado, agents from the UCO visited García Ortiz's office to search for any messages or emails from the past seven months that could relate to a potential data leak in a tax fraud case involving Alberto González Amador, the partner of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, a prominent political figure. The Supreme Court is examining whether a document was leaked by the Attorney General's office wherein Amador's lawyer acknowledged two tax offenses. The agents confiscated García Ortiz's phones and email accounts, but reported finding no pertinent material for the case. Their findings included no WhatsApp messages and only a handful of emails, with just one referencing the González Amador case, lacking any details about the alleged leak. Subsequently, the judge requested further information from the UCO regarding the mobile devices used by the Attorney General. To date, the Attorney General's office has maintained that the phone switch was part of a regular procedure for safeguarding sensitive data. The UCO's report to the judge clarified that they identified two phone numbers associated with the Attorney General and confirmed that the activity linked to these numbers began on October 23, 2024, indicating a phone change on that date. The term IMSI, which stands for International Mobile Subscriber Identity, refers to a unique 15-digit number that appears on SIM cards and is used to identify mobile subscribers. On October 16, the Supreme Court publicly announced the launch of an investigation into whether the Attorney General or the Chief Prosecutor of Madrid were involved in leaking confidential details concerning the confession of Alberto González Amador. A week following the phone change noted by the UCO, Judge Hurtado imposed a confidentiality order on the case and dispatched the Guardia Civil to both officials' offices to gather evidence regarding the alleged leak. The case against Álvaro García Ortiz and Pilar Rodríguez, the Chief Prosecutor of Madrid, regarding the breach of confidentiality, is set to undergo a series of proceedings throughout January. On January 8, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez is scheduled to testify before Judge Hurtado at the request of the prosecution. Rodríguez, a close aide to Isabel Díaz Ayuso, was the first to release parts of the emails exchanged between Amador's lawyer and the prosecutor in the case, albeit in a manipulated form, suggesting the prosecution was offering a deal rather than the reverse. During the same week, eight journalists from various media outlets will also provide testimony regarding the content of these emails, which they reported or published in full between March 13 and 14 this year. Additionally, throughout January, Julián Salto and Almudena Lastra are expected to appear as witnesses. Salto is the prosecutor who initiated the investigation against Ayuso's partner, who was initially implicated in the case but later cleared of wrongdoing. He has stated that he submitted the emails to the Attorney General's office when requested to refute false claims about the case on the night of March 13. Almudena Lastra, the Chief Prosecutor of Madrid and Salto's superior, has already testified before the Madrid High Court. Further witnesses will include communication officials from both the Attorney General's office and the Madrid Prosecutor's office.

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