The former director of the Civil Guard testifies as an investigated party in the Leire case and maintains that he only met with commanders to clarify leaks. The popular accusation from the PP charged him with alleged pressures regarding the report on David Sánchez.
Leonardo Marcos, former director of the Civil Guard, appeared this Thursday as an investigated party before the National Court judge Santiago Pedraz and denied pressuring the Central Operational Unit (UCO). According to legal sources consulted by Telemadrid, Marcos rejected the accusations suggesting he interfered in the investigation concerning David Sánchez, brother of the Prime Minister.
Judge Pedraz, who is investigating the alleged maneuvers of former socialist militant Leire Díez to sabotage judicial cases and discredit the UCO, charged Marcos at the request of the popular accusation represented by the PP. This same accusation had previously requested the indictment of the current director of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González, and her second-in-command.
The former head of the UCO Rafael Yuste pointed to Marcos in his testimony. According to his account, on July 12, 2024, in a meeting, the then director of the Civil Guard described the report on David Sánchez as "totally speculative and malicious" and criticized the unit for requesting an analysis of emails. Yuste maintained that Marcos claimed the credibility of the UCO and the armed institute was in tatters and urged that the next report be "analysed" and "clean".
I did not pressure or interfere in the work of the UCO," Leonardo Marcos has assured in his statement, according to legal sources.
The head of judicial police, Alfonso Alberto López Malo, also referred to Marcos before the investigators. According to his version, the former director expressed his anger over the UCO report and for not having prior knowledge before its delivery.
Marcos denied these accusations in his appearance, where he responded to the prosecutor and his defence. He maintained that he did not pressure or interfere in the work of the UCO, did not describe the report as speculative or malicious, and that he only met with the commanders to clarify press leaks. He explained that he first called the UCO commander upon considering that the registration at the Diputación de Badajoz had been leaked, due to the live broadcast by a regional television, and then met with the commanders to clarify what he considered a "culture of leaking".
The former director did admit that he asked the UCO to quickly finish the next report and explained that he found it "atypical and striking" that an investigation into Badajoz had been assigned to the UCO, with the consequent workload. In any case, he denied having given instructions regarding the content and maintained that he never met with the investigators preparing the reports, but only with the highest-level chain of command. He also stated that he did not know Antonio Balas, head of the Economic and Anti-Corruption Investigation Department of the UCO, whom, according to the investigation, Leire Díez sought to discredit.
Marcos's statement comes after Judge Pedraz has also charged the current leadership of the Civil Guard. The case remains open and the judge has not taken any precautionary measures against the former director.
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