Sanchez disagrees with the punishment imposed on the attorney general, but refuses to talk about pardon

The President oftheSpanish Government Pedro Sanchez continues tobelieve in the innocence of the Attorney General of the State  and therefore disagrees with the Supreme Court's ruling, but has refused to comment on a possible pardon.

Sanchez spoke for the first time of the conviction of Prosecutor Alvaro García Ortiz. Johannesburg, during his press conference on the occasion of the G20 Assembly. The Supreme Court sentenced the Attorney General to two years' disqualification eta with a fine of 7,200 euros. 

The Spanish President reiterates that the Government respects the judgment  but does not share it and argues that in a democracy the disagreement between the Government and the judiciary is legitimate.

"I believe in the innocence of theAttorneyGeneral, "he said. In this connection, he has stated, with regard to the journalists who have appeared at the trial, that they are "proven and renowned" and that they have unanimously stated that the prosecutor was not the source of the alleged leaks and that he has "nothing to do with this crime".

In fact, the Supreme Court's ruling will have to conclude how badly Garcia Ortiz did it, and the prosecutor himself must file an incident of annulment in that same court, if he wishes to appeal to the Constitution, and then to the European courts.

Sanchez also adds that it makes no sense now to talk about other issues, such as pardon.

He has made no progress on the process opened to appoint García Ortiz's replacement, although he has stressed that the Government has always placed at the head of the Attorney-General's Office persons with a "long" legal career and "great knowledge of the matter".