Spain's chief prosecutor quits after being found guilty of leaking confidential information

MADRID

Spain’s Attorney General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz resigned on Monday after the Supreme Court found him guilty of leaking confidential information in a case involving a leading opposition figure.

Alvaro Garcia Ortiz announced his resignation in a letter to Justice Minister Felix Bolanos, making him the first attorney general in the country's democratic history to be convicted.

He resigned despite all the support he received from the government, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who appointed him in 2022.

"This is a duty not only to the Office of the Public Prosecutor but to all Spanish citizens," he said in the letter, according to a report by Spanish news agency EFE, citing Justice Ministry sources.

Last week, the Supreme Court found that Ortiz had unlawfully revealed details of the tax status of businessman Alberto Gonzalez Amador and partner Isabel Diaz Ayuso, a leading figure from the opposition People's Party.

The court handed the chief prosecutor a two-year ban from the post and a fine of €7,200 ($8,300).

On Sunday, Sanchez reiterated his support for Ortiz and said that the Supreme Court’s decision could be overturned by the Constitutional Court.