The Government vindicates the "honesty" of Illa's chief of staff who has resigned: "He will continue working at the PSC"

BarcelonaThe Government continues to claim the "honesty" and "honorability" of Eduard Rivas, the hitherto strongman of Salvador Illa. The Government spokesperson, Sílvia Paneque, explained that the President of the Generalitat described in this way to the executive council this Tuesday the former chief of staff of the President of the Generalitat, who submitted his resignation ten months after it came to light that he was being judicially investigated for alleged corruption when he was mayor of Esparreguera. Thus, the Minister of Territory has assured that Rivas has not left the Catalan executive due to a "lack of confidence" from the PSC leader, but that it is a "personal decision".

In fact, Paneque has confirmed that Rivas "will continue working on the socialist project", although she has not clarified in what position and whether he will hold any institutional office. However, the Government spokesperson has avoided on several occasions responding explicitly whether the President of the Generalitat maintains confidence in his former chief of staff and has shielded herself with the fact that she only wanted to reproduce exactly the words of Illa to the executive council. At the very beginning, when it was known that he was investigated for alleged irregularities, in March, presidency sources explicitly reaffirmed "full confidence in his person".

Although it came to light that he was under judicial investigation ten months ago, Rivas did not resign last Friday, the day after the secrecy of the summary of the contents of the mobile phone that was confiscated from him was lifted. The judicial investigation involving Rivas, who was mayor of Esparreguera between 2015 and 2024, revolves around alleged irregularities at the Foundation for Labor Inclusion (FIL), based in this municipality in the Baix Llobregat and dedicated to offering work to people with intellectual disabilities, at risk of exclusion and vulnerability. The judge is investigating whether part of the money from public contracts ended up covering private expenses linked to the entity.