Editorial, 21 December 2021
The new chief commissioner of Catalanpolice, the Mossos, Josep Maria Estela
Toni Rodríguez supervised from the General Criminal Investigation Police some political cases, such as those related to Laura Borràs or Miquel Buch (JxCat)
The arrival of Josep Maria Estela as the new head of the Mossos d’Esquadra to replace Major Josep Lluís Trapero has already claimed the first victim. This is the mayor Toni Rodríguez, head of the General Criminal Investigation Commission, who among his functions had the supervision of cases related to political corruption in Catalonia, and also outside of it.
According to La Vanguardia, the decision to dismiss this police command was taken and communicated this Tuesday morning by the three new managers of the Catalan police: the aforementioned Estela, Commissioner Eduard Sallent and Mayor Rosa Maria Bosch , just 24 hours after their respective appointments.
Until now, Rodríguez has led the most sensitive judicial investigations of the police organization from the General Criminal Investigation Commission (CGIC): among them, those related to the corruption of political groups, which have already nearly cost him his job in the past.
Political pressures
As explained by said media, this mayor – known for his good work in the fight against marijuana trafficking – once led the anti-corruption unit of the Mossos to a deputy inspector of his trust: Juan Manuel Lazo. With Rodríguez as instructor, and Lazo as secretary, both signed the investigation against the then Minister of the Interior, Miquel Buch (JxCat), in mid-2020, accused of the alleged illegal hiring in the counseling of a mosso who had acted as a personal escort of the president of the Generalitat escaped Carles Puigdemont. At that time, Rodríguez was the head of the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) and Sallent, head of the Mossos.
The political pressure that both investigators received was such that Lazo met with the magistrate of the civil and criminal chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), Carlos Ramos, to request “judicial protection”, considering that said pressures “put the investigation in serious danger,” according to La Vanguardia, citing sources familiar with the episode.
After the dismissal of Rodríguez, Lazo presented his resignation this Tuesday. The digital The Objective, on the other hand, points out this Tuesday that the real reason for the dismissal of Trapero as mayor of the Mossos was the intention, on the part of ERC – party now in command of the regional Ministry of Interior – to control its Investigation unit.
Investigation of Laura Borràs
From the DIC, Rodríguez also supervised other investigations such as the one that led to the imputation of the current president of the Parliament, Laura Borràs (JxCat), for alleged irregular adjudications in the past, among others.
He also signed the report sent to the magistrate who is investigating the case against former commissioner José Manuel Villarejo in which the Mossos slide reproaches to the judge of the so-called Voloh case, Joaquín Aguirre, for his investigation of the Macedonia plot, of alleged police corruption in which commanders were charged. of the body.
According to sources consulted by Efe, one of the best positioned commanders to replace Rodríguez at the head of the General Criminal Investigation Commission is Commissioner Rafel Comes, who has already commanded this area.
New spokesperson
Another of the changes agreed by the new leadership, reported by the Catalan police in a statement, is the appointment of Inspector Montserrat Escudé as spokesman for the Mossos, replacing Commissioner Joan Carles Molinero, who had been carrying out this work since November of last after the restitution of Trapero.
In addition, the new leadership plans to appoint Commissioner Xavier Porcuna, who currently heads the General Information Police Station and who was also in the investigation area, at the head of the Superior Central Coordination Police Station, according to the sources.
These same sources have also detailed that the new leadership of the Mossos has summoned for this Wednesday at the headquarters of Egara, in Sabadell (Barcelona), the commissioners and heads of region and division for a first contact in this new stage in the Catalan police after the cessation of Trapero.
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