The Ministry of Defence has decided not to suspend Lieutenant General Manuel Llamas, the Guardia Civil’s director adjunto operativo (DAO), after he became an investigated party in the ongoing ‘caso Leire’. The case, heard by National Court judge Santiago Pedraz, also involves Guardia Civil director general Mercedes González. It concerns allegations that internal procedures were used to pressure agents working on corruption investigations linked to people connected to the PSOE. Legal advice reportedly concludes that the evidence does not currently justify disciplinary action against Llamas or his suspension from duty.
Llamas and González appeared before Pedraz in July. Llamas appeared on 16 July as an investigated party; both officials denied the accusations, information from El Debate. The allegations include possible prevarication, an unlawful exercise of public authority, and obstruction of justice. Investigators are examining whether internal actions involving the Guardia Civil’s Unidad Central Operativa (UCO) were intended to hinder investigations, including the caso Koldo and the caso Hermanísimo. The allegations form part of wider claims that PSOE militant Leire Díez and others sought to undermine inquiries involving relatives of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Socialist figures.
The inquiry has focused on the internal files, including their subject matter and who was informed. Documentation attributed to Llamas identifies two reserved investigations involving UCO personnel as files 1/24 and 1/25; he said González was informed when those files were opened and concluded. Three other proceedings concerned Guardia Civil units outside the UCO. Llamas said González had not been informed about them, describing those matters as internal management handled with the responsible commanders. At the request of Anticorrupción, Pedraz sought a written account specifying which reserved investigations had been communicated to González and when.
One account attributed to Llamas says some internal proceedings followed calls from Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and González concerning the publication of personal data, rather than the judicial investigations themselves. That distinction is basic to the inquiry into whether the files were routine administrative matters or connected to alleged pressure on investigators. The proceedings do not establish that every file was ordered by Díez or that Grande-Marlaska knew of an unlawful operation.
The Defence Ministry’s reported position must be considered alongside the criminal proceedings: being investigated does not itself amount to a finding of guilt. The ministry’s legal advisers reportedly concluded that the available material does not establish a disciplinary breach warranting immediate action. They also said any disciplinary process should await developments in the criminal case. The final decision on suspension rests with Defence Minister Margarita Robles, while Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has a role in decisions about removal from the current post.
The political party Iusticia Europa has called for an urgent disciplinary inquiry and Llamas’s immediate suspension, citing his status as an investigated party. The legal advice described in the reporting also says the party lacks standing to formally request his suspension, while leaving open the possibility of future action as the judicial process develops. Meanwhile, associations within the Guardia Civil have called for the removal of both González and Llamas. Critics have questioned whether senior officers are treated differently from rank-and-file personnel facing investigations.
The case remained active after the officials’ questioning. Pedraz later asked the PSOE to provide information about lawyers it had hired and payments made from 2021 to 2025, giving the party 15 days to respond. He also required it to identify documents it considered protected by professional secrecy. The PSOE said it had consulted the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (CGAE) on legal privilege and requested more time. Pedraz said that consultation did not suspend the court’s request.
As seen in coverage of the government’s stance on Mercedes González’s investigation, the dispute has raised broader questions about the balance between the presumption of innocence and institutional accountability in Spain’s security forces. The Guardia Civil has both military and civilian functions. The case may shape how allegations involving senior officials are handled while judicial proceedings are under way.
