Sumar en Comú Podem deputy Félix Alonso Cantorné will have to testify on June 15 before the Supreme Court due to the judicial investigation trying to clarify an alleged crime of malfeasance when he was mayor of Altafulla (Tarragona), for directly awarding municipal contracts to various companies between 2011 and 2019.
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The case is in the hands of the Supreme Court after a court in El Vendrell involved the privileged defendant last April and submitted a reasoned report. His appearance will be added to that of a dozen witnesses.
According to the investigating judge, Alonso Cantorné may have used minor contracts to avoid “publicity requirements” and thus be able to award contracts “directly,” assuming “an arbitrary choice of the awardee.” The Supreme Court already warned that the investigation is not limited to the crime of malfeasance; it also points to an “irregular way of contracting” that “has been accompanied by a billing dynamic to make payment for services.” Therefore, it emphasizes that “it should not be ruled out that it could point to some type of irregularity, if this results from the pace of the investigation.” For this reason, the Supreme Court states that “the appropriate investigative proceedings must be initiated” to confirm, expand, or discard “the existence of the indications.”
The High Court of Justice of Catalonia is also investigating the minor contracts that the Altafulla (Tarragona) City Council signed, between 2017 and 2019, with Sinergia, a consultancy controlled by the former Interior Minister of the Generalitat, Joan Ignasi Elena, and Joan Herrera, who was leader of Iniciativa per Catalunya. The company was hired through an “external legal advisory contract.” Another former Iniciativa figure under investigation is Salvador Milà.