This week some of those appearing on the investigation commission of the Operation Catalonia by the Congress of Deputies. For the moment, nothing to put into your mouth. Neither Eugenio Pinoformer deputy operational director of the National Policeneither Francisco Martínezformer Secretary of State for Security, they have said nothing new about the possible police, judicial and political conspiracy to disrupt the processes that Junts and ERC want to clarify. During his appearance, therefore, the main limitation of this and any investigative commission was seen: the silence.
In any case, the Operation Cataloniaalong with that of Pegasus ―both have merged― and even the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils in 2017 meet some characteristics that could make them useful and give them importance in the legislature.
It must be taken into account that, unlike other similar commissions, whose object of investigation was already being tried in criminal proceedings, in the case of Operation Catalonia It’s not like that. That gives it a certain relevance. It is one of the arguments put forward by those of Carles Puigdemont to justify the imposition of this commission on Pedro Sánchez when poconvergent and socialists negotiated in August 2023 the presidency of Congress to Francina Armengol. Junts made it a condition to deliver their votes that the PSOE endorse investigating in the Lower House both the Operation Catalonialike the 2017 attacks in Catalonia.
The argument is simple: if the allegedly reprehensible action of the State powers to decimate the independence movement is not investigated in Congress, it will not be investigated anywhere. The truth is that it was already done in Parliament of Catalonia and The conclusions were clear: there was a dirty war against the processes. However, the commission’s activity had no effect beyond the walls of the Catalan chamber.
That is, in fact, another of the limitations of any commission. What has happened to date is that the conclusions of any similar process have not had judicial consequences. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. According to article 52.4 of the Congress Regulations ―which has the rank of organic law― the conclusions of a commission of investigation do not have effects on judicial resolutions, but the Congress Board does have the power to “transfer them to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the exercise, when appropriate, of the timely actions“.
Why is that important in the situation in which the current legislature is navigating? It is still very early – only two appearing deputies have been submitted to the questions of the deputies – but in the event that any of the following throw up some type of compromising information Regarding the case, Junts has amply demonstrated that it has the capacity to condition the political decisions of the legislature and could push to get something clear from the commission. At the Table, PSOE and Sumar, whose Government supports, among other groups, Junts, have a majority over the PP.
In any case, even though, specifically, the Operation Catalonia is not prosecuted, many of those appearing may take advantage of professional secrecy not to answer questions. That is, in reality, the eternal Achilles heel of this type of process.
From Junqueras to Sáenz de Santamaría
A v80 political, police and media figures will participate in the commission. The list could even be lengthened, according to what they share from Junts. But this collection of names presents several profiles, which, in turn, respond to different sections of Junts strategy. Furthermore, now that this commission has been merged with that of Pegasuswhich Esquerra Republicana imposed on the PSOE also in exchange for votes for Armengol, a new parallel list will appear to shed light on the case of alleged espionage on independence leaders.
In the of Operation Cataloniaon the one hand there are those that the post-convergents consider politically guilty (at least, suspects) of this dirty war against the processes: the former ministers popular Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, María Dolores de Cospedal, Christopher Montoro and Jorge Fernandez Diaz or the former president of the Government Mariano Rajoy.
On the other hand, the victims: Oriol Junqueras, Artur Mas either Xavier Trias. On the other hand, the eventual executors: Francisco Martínez either Eugenio Pinowho have already appeared, Marcelino Martin Blas either Ignacio Cosidógeneral director of the Police in the first stretch of Rajoy’s Government. Many of them have already been questioned in other congressional investigative commissions as part of the so-called patriotic police On the other hand, journalists such as Quico Salles either Mayka Navarro.
They will be a series of appointments in the Lower House that will once again put the performance of Rajoy’s Executive on the table and that can function as a oxygen ball for Sánchez at a time when the Popular Party torpedoes him with the Koldo casewith which he tries to link the President of the Government although, at the moment, there is no evidence of this.
In the near future, the declassification of documents. Not so much in the commission of the Operation Cataloniabut yes in the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrilswithin the framework of which those from Puigdemont have persuaded the Government to bring to light information about the relations of the Police with those involved in the attack and in Moncloa they have opened up to it. In any case, both commissions are communicating vessels: both question the actions of the depths of the State, especially during the mandates of Mariano Rajoy.
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