> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ex-official in dock over Montcada cement plant permits - URL: https://barna.news/ex-official-in-dock-over-montcada/ - Published: 2026-10-15T08:50:02.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T08:50:02.000Z - Description: Emili Dragone faces trial over environmental authorisation granted to Lafarge in Montcada i Reixac, accused of bypassing legal procedures. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: crime, Catalonia ## Case opens in Barcelona Audiencia The trial concerning the environmental authorisation of the Lafarge cement plant in Montcada i Reixac began on Wednesday 14 October 2026 at the Barcelona Audiencia. Former senior official Emili Dragone, who served as head of Environmental Quality and Climate Change at the Generalitat, is accused of recklessly reauthorising the plant in 2015 based on a 2008 licence previously annulled by the courts. The Mossos d'Esquadra investigator in charge of the case testified that granting the 2015 authorisation was a "reckless" act, given that the 2008 environmental impact declaration had already been voided due to procedural failures. The officer stated that Dragone bore direct responsibility, as he was the "head of service" and the sole authority overseeing the processing and publication of the permit file. "There was no one else in the department," the officer said. ## Fiscal seeks two-year sentence The prosecution, led by public prosecutor Víctor Castells, alleges that Dragone proposed republishing the same environmental impact statement in 2015 despite knowing it had been annulled and no longer met current environmental standards. The fiscal is seeking a two-year prison sentence for a crime against natural resources and the environment, along with a €6,480 fine and a ten-year disqualification from public office. Additionally, the private prosecution, brought by the Can Sant Joan Neighbourhood Association and represented by lawyer Albert Calduch, is requesting six years in prison, three for each alleged environmental crime, and additional penalties for breach of judicial rulings by a public official. ## Defence argues formal issues only Contradicting the prosecution's claims, Catalina Cerdà, former head of the Legal Advisory area at the Department of Environment, stated she found no irregularities in the permitting process. She maintained that any legal concerns would have been flagged, and noted that the Supreme Court's annulment of the 2008 declaration was based solely on formal defects, not on proven environmental harm. Juan Verdú, Lafarge's legal security director, echoed this, asserting that the company has always complied with environmental requirements and that court decisions were based on procedural matters only. Mercè Rius, former director general of Environmental Quality and Climate Change, defended Dragone’s role as largely administrative, stating he was responsible only for integrating technical reports before submission to the Environmental Board. "If someone had wanted to skip the procedure, the Board would not have allowed it," she said, noting that the process was highly regulated. Dragone is expected to give his testimony on Thursday. During the investigation phase, he maintained that all environmental permits he authorised were issued in accordance with legal reports. --- ## Plant under scrutiny for years The Lafarge cement plant in Montcada i Reixac, now operated by Holcim, has long been a source of contention due to its proximity to residential areas and its emissions. Environmental and community groups have campaigned for over a decade for its closure or conversion. According to 2005 emissions data from the Generalitat, Lafarge Asland S.A. was among the region’s highest industrial emitters, releasing 536,888 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent annually. --- *Primary sources:* [*canviclimatic.gencat.cat*](https://canviclimatic.gencat.cat/web/.content/03%5FAMBITS/mitigacio/comerc%5Fde%5Fdrets%5Fdemissio/resultat%5Fdel%5Fseguiment%5Fdemissions/periode%5F2005/emissions%5Fets%5F2005%5Fca.pdf?ref=barna.news)*,* [*portaldogc.gencat.cat*](https://portaldogc.gencat.cat/utilsEADOP/AppJava/PdfProviderServlet?documentId=960083&ref=barna.news)*. Reported by en.ara.cat, ARA, elperiodico.com, Diari ARA.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Updated: Two sought over armed robberies in Barcelona, Sant Cugat](https://barna.news/two-sought-over-armed-robberies-in/) - [Police arrest eight over Catalonia home burglaries](https://barna.news/police-arrest-eight-over-catalonia-home/) - [Updated: Man Dies in Group Stabbing in Nou Barris](https://barna.news/man-dies-in-group-stabbing-in-nou-barris/) - [Gunshots Fired in Badalona's Llefià](https://barna.news/gunshots-fired-in-badalonas-llefia/)