Leonardo Marcos, former director general of the Guardia Civil, appeared before Spain’s National Court in Madrid to answer accusations that he pressured investigators to step back from a corruption probe involving Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s brother. The case has put Spain’s law enforcement and the government’s handling of internal investigations under close scrutiny.
The controversy centers on the so-called Leire Díez case, a judicial investigation into an alleged scheme involving former socialist activist Leire Díez and ex-PSOE secretary Santos Cerdán. The case focuses on attempts to disrupt judicial proceedings that could harm the ruling party. Information from the case file, the plan involved seeking compromising information on officials and encouraging internal probes within the Guardia Civil to intimidate investigators. Reports from EFE and other Spanish agencies say the court is examining whether there was a coordinated effort to discredit cases affecting PSOE and the government, including attempts to gather damaging material on public officials and investigators.
On September 10, 2026, Leonardo Marcos testified as a suspect in the Leire Díez case. He denied pressuring the UCO but admitted asking for the report on David Sánchez to be completed quickly.
Marcos, who led the Guardia Civil from June 2023 to September 2024, appeared before Judge Santiago Pedraz to address claims that he told the Unidad Central Operativa (UCO) to take a passive approach in its investigation of David Sánchez, the prime minister’s brother. David Sánchez was recently convicted by the Provincial Court of Badajoz for irregularities related to his appointment at the Diputación de Badajoz and received a nine-year disqualification penalty, information from court documents and national media coverage.
During his testimony, Marcos denied trying to influence the UCO’s work. He said his only concern was whether information was leaking from inside the Guardia Civil, not the investigation’s direction or intensity. His account matches denials from his successor, Mercedes González, and the institution’s operational deputy, Manuel Llamas. Both also appeared as suspects and rejected claims that they pressured subordinates. According to EFE, these testimonies are part of a broader process in which several top officials, including the current head of the Guardia Civil and a PSOE manager, were called to testify before Judge Pedraz in early September 2026.
The accusations against Marcos gained traction after senior UCO officers, generals Rafael Yuste and Alfonso López Malo, reported being told at a summer 2024 meeting to avoid proactive action in politically sensitive cases. They described the guidance as generic and not aimed at any specific party, but recalled a separate incident in which Marcos was angry over UCO agents’ proposal to a judge to access emails from the Diputación de Badajoz as part of the Sánchez investigation. Rafael Yuste’s testimony has been cited as a basic source of the allegations. Reports say he claimed that Marcos and deputy chief Manuel Llamas both asked the UCO to “stay aside” in the case involving the prime minister’s brother.
The investigation into the Leire Díez case also examines alleged payments totaling 43,225 euros, which the prosecution says were funneled through intermediaries linked to former PSOE leadership. Investigators are examining this financial angle alongside claims of coordinated efforts to influence or discredit judicial proceedings.
The Partido Popular (PP) played a central role in bringing Marcos before the court. It argued that the timing of internal communications and the opening of confidential inquiries pointed to coordinated action at the top of the Guardia Civil. The PP’s submission to Judge Pedraz emphasized that Marcos, as director general during the relevant period, bore ultimate responsibility for any such coordination. According to El Mundo and other major outlets, the political fallout has begun: opposition parties are demanding explanations, while the Tribunal de Cuentas has issued new deadlines and orders related to the Badajoz and PSOE-linked episodes.
These developments follow earlier reports about financial flows and internal maneuvering in the Leire Díez case, as covered previously. The investigation has widened to examine the alleged plot to undermine judicial processes and the internal climate within Spain’s top law enforcement agency.
The case has exposed deep institutional friction, with senior officers caught between political expectations and the demands of judicial independence. The National Court’s decision to question top officials is unusual and signals a rare moment of accountability where politics and policing meet. Marcos and his colleagues have denied wrongdoing, while complaints and the timing of internal actions point to a culture in which political sensitivity can override operational autonomy.
