The mayor of Altafulla, on the investigation of Herrera and Elena: "We were already expecting it"

BarcelonaThe High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) announced this Wednesday that it has expanded the investigation for alleged irregular awards in Altafulla to ERC deputy and former minister Joan Ignasi Elena and former Initiative leader Joan Herrera. The court considers them "alleged necessary cooperators" in the awarding of minor contracts for a consultancy managed by both, Sinergia EDM. The total amount would reach 30,000 euros. In the court's opinion, it could be a crime of prevarication in cooperation with the then mayor, Fèlix Alonso Cantorné, who is under investigation by the Supreme Court for allegedly favoring the two politicians. Alonso is currently a deputy for Comuns in Congress, and that is why in his case the investigation has reached the Supreme Court. The imputation of these two leaders has not caught the Tarragona council off guard. In conversation with ARA, the mayor of Altafulla, the republican Jordi Molinera, explains that they expected it since they became aware of the investigation: it was in October 2023, when the Mossos d'Esquadra searched the council to look for documents. "We saw this coming and it would advance," he admits.

"They inform us that Antifrau had received an anonymous complaint and we are amazed, because we knew nothing about it," recalls Molinera about the day of the police search at the Town Hall. He explains that the complaint had reached Antifrau in August 2022, when Alternativa Altafulla –linked to Comuns– was in government with Junts, and the first information request was in October of the same year: "They hid that Antifrau was investigating it," Molinera reproaches Comuns. The investigation was judicially processed without anything being revealed, until the searches a year later at the Town Hall, when Molinera was already mayor.

About former minister Salvador Milà, who according to what was published Demands "responsibilities"

Regarding the former minister Salvador Milà, who according to what has been published by El Paíscontinuation in the hands of Antifrau of a complaint against MolineraAt the moment, the council has not requested to join the case, but it has "made a legal consultation" to assess it. On the other hand, Molinera insists on the need for "political responsibilities, especially for having hidden" the investigation, as he claims the Altafulla government team, headed by Montse Castellarnau, also investigated according to what has been published by El País.

Meanwhile, a complaint against Molinera continues to be handled by Antifrau for having paid with public funds for his legal representation in the judicial case – already dismissed – which investigated opposition councilors for allegedly harassing him on social media.