Controversy over the hiring of Sílvia Orriols' daughter as a local police agent in Ripoll

BarcelonaRipoll City Council has hired one of the daughters of the town's mayor, Sílvia Orriols, as an interim local police officer. Orriols herself announced this at Tuesday evening's council meeting and made it clear that she had not placed "anyone on a string" and that she had "absolutely abstained from participating in anything that affects the process." "Just as I cannot benefit her with my position, I cannot prevent her from fulfilling her dream either," she assured in response to the opposition's reproaches. The position was advertised as "urgent" to guarantee the "correct provision of service" given the "structural understaffing of agents," she pointed out.

Orriols explained at the Ripoll City Council meeting this Tuesday the designation of her daughter as the municipality's new local police officer. "To prevent anyone from buying into the opposition's fanciful narrative and questioning the institution's prestige, my loyalty to the office, or my daughter's merits, I will explain the process in detail," argued the also leader of Aliança Catalana. "From the beginning, when she told me she would apply, I knew the risk we were running," admitted Orriols, who was wearing a Local Police t-shirt.

In this regard, Junts has already asked Orriols to "delegate the responsibilities of the Security department to avoid a conflict of interest." Thus, the spokesperson, Ferran Raigon, has demanded "institutional exemplary conduct" after the mayor's daughter joined the Local Police. Sources from ERC emphasize that the procedure is probably "legal, but unethical" and question whether Orriols wants to champion "the renewal of politics."

The mayoress detailed that the local police agent position was called to cover "the holiday period and the current lack of staff". In fact, the text of the decree calling for positions argues that the force is experiencing a "critical operational situation that directly affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the essential public service of citizen security" and that it is an "unavoidable necessity to guarantee the proper provision of the service".

In the same document, it is argued that the mayoress holds the "superior command of the local police and the competence to direct security policy in the municipality". At the same time, she is also granted the "competence to issue" the resolution calling for positions. According to the explanations given by Orriols, 24 people registered for the selection process, although in the end only 15 took the written test.

Fifteen applicants for the position

At this point, the mayoress said that the written test's wording "was done minutes before the exam by the head of the area and the acting head of the local police force to avoid the slightest leak". At the same time, she detailed, the candidates identified themselves with their ID numbers and not with names and surnames "so that whoever corrected it would not know the identity of the candidates".

The written test, Orriols pointed out, was passed by only 5 people and her daughter "got the best grade". These 5 candidates had to undergo a personal interview which, according to Orriols, was led by the head of the area and three local police commanders. Immediately after, the mayoress detailed, an average was calculated between the written test and the personal interview and "only three candidates passed it". Of these, Orriols concluded, her daughter "obtained first position with more than two points above the second".

Orriols wanted to make it clear that the process "has complied with current regulations and protocols" and recalled that since 2007 political office holders "cannot participate or be present in personnel selection processes".