Proceedings Begin at Barcelona Provincial Court
The Ninth Section of the Barcelona Provincial Court began hearing the trial on Tuesday 6 October 2026 against three former officials from the Sant Adrià de Besòs City Council. The defendants are accused of malfeasance in public office for allegedly preventing the processing of fines issued by local police. Among those on trial are José Francisco Pérez Leal, the technician responsible for sanctioning procedures, his deputy María del Carmen Aguado, and former Security Councillor José Luis Martínez Cardoso, who held office in 2019.
Alleged Systemic Interference in Penalty Cases
The case stems from inspections carried out by the Sant Adrià de Besòs Local Police at hospitality establishments repeatedly violating time restrictions or occupying public space without authorisation. Officers found that formal reports they filed did not lead to official sanctions or notifications, despite some cases involving serious infractions worth thousands of euros in penalties. Unable to confirm the status of these proceedings and suspecting internal obstruction, municipal police officers submitted backup copies of their reports directly to the judicial system.
The Mossos d'Esquadra’s anti-corruption unit conducted a year-and-a-half-long investigation under judicial secrecy, reconstructing the administrative trail of multiple sanctioning files.
Investigators from the Territorial Investigation Area (ATI) of the Mossos d'Esquadra identified systematic irregularities, including the alleged arbitrary cancellation or freezing of sanctioning processes. These actions reportedly benefited businesses and individuals linked to council services or the municipal environment.
Witnesses Summoned as Judicial Process Unfolds
At the trial session scheduled for 10:00 AM, the chief and deputy chief of the Sant Adrià de Besòs Local Police, along with several officers and mid-level commanders involved in drafting the original inspection reports, were called to testify as witnesses. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of up to 10 years for the two administrative technicians. For the former councillor, the requested penalty is disqualification from holding public office. The trial will determine criminal liability after consolidating all investigative strands into a single case file before the provincial court.
Primary sources: Dep. Interior Generalitat Catalunya, mossos.gencat.cat, Departament d'Interior. Reported by metropoliabierta.cat, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, elconstitucional.es, GCJ.
