The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, on Wednesday defended his chief of staff, Eduard Rivas, who is under investigation for alleged irregularities during his time as mayor of Esparreguera (Barcelona). The president revealed that he had known about the judicial procedure “for some weeks” and defended the transparency with which, he assures, they have acted from the very first moment. In his first public reaction, he closed ranks with his chief of staff – “I maintain my trust in him” – while also asking for respect for the development of the case and Rivas’s presumption of innocence.
In an interview on Onda Cero, the head of the Government denied that his Executive had tried to hide information about Rivas, by not making the investigation public in January, when he became aware of it. “We have explained everything there is,” Illa insisted, stressing that what is relevant, in his opinion, is Rivas’s willingness to collaborate “absolutely” with justice to clarify the facts “as quickly as possible.”
The president remarked that his chief of staff assured him that he acted “at all times in accordance with the laws” and that it was precisely the senior official who informed him of the investigation. The Mossos d’Esquadra had seized Rivas’s mobile phone on January 15 by order of the head of Martorell court number 7, a few days before Illa himself had to be admitted to hospital for pubic osteomyelitis.
“He told me and explained what he had done. The attitude I saw was correct and, therefore, I maintain my trust in him,” Illa stated, in the first public reaction after the chief of staff’s indictment became known last Tuesday.
The judicial procedure affecting Rivas dates back to his time at the head of the Esparreguera City Council. The agreements signed with the Foundation for Labor Inclusion (FIL) are under scrutiny. In early 2025, agents had already carried out another operation, with various searches, one at FIL, and the arrest of three people linked to the foundation.
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The investigation has generated political tensions, with the opposition demanding explanations from the Catalan Executive for keeping him in a position of maximum trust, although parliamentary partners – Erc and Comuns – have been less belligerent. Last Tuesday, when the facts became known, the Executive’s own spokesperson, Sílvia Paneque, had asked for respect for the presumption of innocence. “We hope that the groups, as in other investigations, will heed the presumption of innocence and value the spirit of maximum collaboration to clarify these facts for Rivas’s own benefit,” she said at the press conference after the Consell Executiu.
“The criterion I apply is very clear: very strict standards regarding ethical behavior, but also justice,” Illa stated on Onda Cero. “He is doing what he has to do, which is to collaborate. I don’t have to make any decision; on the contrary, we have to wait to see how this is resolved,” he added, expressing his conviction that the case will be resolved “satisfactorily” for Rivas, whom he described as someone he knows well.
The president of the Generalitat wanted to differentiate this case from other corruption episodes that have affected his political sphere and in which, he recalled, action was taken “forcefully and promptly” when clear evidence existed. “If I had evidence of him or anyone on my team, I would act forcefully as appropriate, even removing them,” he assured.
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