Edmundo Bal is once again taking on a judicial case of high institutional impact. The State Legal Service has chosen the former Ciudadanos deputy to defend Manuel Llamas, deputy operational director of the Civil Guard, within the investigation into the so-called Leire case.
Llamas will have to appear before the National High Court on Thursday, July 16. The case investigates whether several internal actions concerning members of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) could have been used to interfere with or pressure agents working on sensitive investigations.
Why Manuel Llamas is under investigation
The judge is investigating Llamas and the director general of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González, for alleged crimes of continued prevarication and against the Administration of Justice. The investigation focuses on the opening of reserved inquiries and internal files that affected UCO agents. Investigators are trying to clarify whether these decisions were based on professional criteria or if they could have served as warnings against the unit's investigations.
The status of being under investigation does not imply guilt. The investigation will determine if there was illegal action or if the decisions were made within the scope of the command's responsibilities.
Who is Edmundo Bal
Bal is a State Attorney and was one of the most recognizable faces of Ciudadanos during the previous legislature. Before entering politics, he served as head of the Criminal Law Department of the State Legal Service. He also participated in the State's legal strategy during the criminal proceedings related to the 2017 independence referendum.
His appointment means that Llamas's defense will be provided with public resources, as the State Legal Service considers that the facts under investigation are linked to the exercise of his duties.
Mercedes González opts for private defense
The director general of the Civil Guard has, on the contrary, chosen a private lawyer. The difference between the two strategies does not alter the procedural status of the two investigated individuals. González and Llamas will have to explain to the judge how the internal decisions under examination were made and what information they were aware of at each moment.
What is being investigated in the Leire case
The National Court is trying to reconstruct the contacts and actions attributed to Leire Díez, a former socialist militant and former executive of Correos. The case analyzes an alleged search for compromising information about judges, prosecutors, and agents linked to investigations that affected the PSOE. Díez has denied acting on the party's instructions and has defended that her meetings responded to her own investigation.
The statement of the DAO and the analysis of the communications incorporated into the proceedings will be two of the next steps in the investigation.