Interior Minister and Guard Director Called Civil Guard DAO after Begoña Gómez email leak

Manuel Llamas, the Deputy Operational Director (DAO) of the Guardia Civil, wrote to judge Santiago Pedraz explaining that Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Guard director Mercedes González contacted him after the personal email of Begoña Gómez, spouse of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, was made public. The breach happened while a Badajoz court was investigating David Sánchez, the prime minister’s brother. According to Llamas, the ministers’ calls led to the opening of a confidential investigation file on members of the Central Operational Unit (UCO).

He emphasized that this was the only file whose genesis involved the two officials; three other confidential files from other units were ordered by the DAO to different commanders to ensure impartiality. The judge is examining a suspected plot to destabilize investigations affecting the government and its inner circle, which also implicates former socialist activist Leire Díez and the Guard’s general director. Llamas’ response details the internal handling of the reserved information and distances the director general from the origin of the other files.