The top prosecutor of Extremadura, Javier Montero, takes on the case from now on
MADRID, 6 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The prosecutor María de la O Silva has been removed from the case related to the complaint filed by Alberto G.A., partner of the Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, against the chief prosecutor of Madrid, Pilar Rodríguez, and the economic crimes prosecutor Julián Salto for alleged revelation of secrets following a press release issued on March 14 by the Madrid Provincial Prosecutor’s Office regarding an investigation against him for alleged tax fraud.
Fiscal sources have confirmed to Europa Press that the senior prosecutor of Extremadura, Javier Montero, will replace the Madrid prosecutor who until now was handling the matter after she invoked article 27 of the Organic Statute of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (EOMF) so that the Board of Court Prosecutors to rule on the discrepancy of opinion that he maintained with his hierarchical superior, the lieutenant prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Ángeles Sánchez Conde, regarding the admission of the complaint.
The same sources have specified that the decision to assign the case to the chief prosecutor of Extremadura responds to the fact that the complaint affects two prosecutors from Madrid, including the chief prosecutor herself. The Public Ministry has understood that what is pertinent is that the matter is now handled by a prosecutor outside of said Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
However, the sources consulted have recalled that this is not the first time that a decision of this type has been adopted when the matter to be discussed affects members of the Public Ministry.
Montero will be in charge of defending the position of the Prosecutor’s Office, which was established by Sánchez Conde on April 24 after holding a Meeting of Court Prosecutors that endorsed his criteria against that of the then prosecutor in the case.
After six hours of deliberation, the Board supported – by 19 votes in favor, 12 against and one abstention – the ‘number two’ of the Public Ministry, who defended that there is no crime and there is no evidence against the defendants, against the Silva’s criteria, which proposed investigating before informing the judge in favor or against admitting the complaint.
That day, unanimously, the Board concluded that the communications between the prosecutors in the case and the attorney general, Álvaro García Ortiz, should not be intervened before reporting in favor or against the admission of the complaint, as proposed by Silva.
The next day, Silva presented a report before the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid with the criteria established by Sánchez Conde. Thus, it requested that the complaint be inadmissible, considering that the publication of the press release “was limited to providing truthful information to the public without revealing data, facts or documents that had not already been disseminated in different media and before the demand for corroboration of the published news, lacks criminal legal relevance to proceed with the opening of criminal proceedings.”
