Overview
- The Supreme Court reconvened the case, with ICAM dean Eugenio Ribón testifying that the March 2024 Fiscalía note caused alarm in the profession and that Madrid’s provincial prosecutor felt pressured “from above and below.”
- Ribón said Álvaro García Ortiz proposed issuing a joint communiqué to cool the fallout from the note, which he refused while calling for an investigation and accountability.
- Guardia Civil UCO filings presented to the court report no WhatsApp messages before 16 October 2024 on García Ortiz’s device, attributing the gap to deliberate deletions carried out twice that day.
- The defense contests the proportionality of the device analysis authorized by Judge Hurtado and argues the communications were sought to rebut false reports about who initiated the plea proposal.
- Journalists and UCO agents are scheduled to testify next, and García Ortiz is expected to appear in the following session, as the Madrid Bar pursues prison time, a fine of €81,000, and disqualification.