The Madrid City Council “replaces” the EMVS director disqualified by the Bar Association for revealing secrets

The Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS) of Madrid has replaced its former legal director, Carlos Medina, after learning of the sanction for violating the secrecy of communication between lawyers. The dismissal decision comes after the sanction filed by the Bar Association against the director and two other lawyers of the municipal company, Miguel Ángel Cortes and Carlos Morgades, on November 21, which agreed to “the suspension in exercise of the legal profession for a period of one month for the commission of an infraction of the General Statute of the Legal Profession.”

The Housing delegate and president of the EMVS, Álvaro González, reported this Wednesday in the area commission that he leads that he has replaced Medina, in response to a question from the PSOE. on the measures taken in this regard. In turn, the delegate has insisted that the sanction is not yet final and has conveyed “the utmost respect for the presumption of innocence” of those affected.

The demand reached the Illustrious Bar Association of Madrid (ICAM) last March, when another member warned of a possible violation of the duty of secrecy of communications between lawyers. In July a file was opened and almost a month ago, on November 21, the Board of the institution agreed to sanction the three denounced for these events.

The file, to which Somos Madrid had exclusive access, addressed a case of negotiation of a payment to the EMVS of hundreds of thousands of euros, in which the three accused lawyers had incorporated a communication referring to the beginning of said negotiation that expressly requested that would remain “confidential.” For this reason, the ICAM observed a violation of the secrecy of professional communications, which is considered a “serious infraction” within the regulations that govern its activity and formulated a proposal for sanctions.

At first, the Madrid City Council decided not to take any decision on the ruling of the Illustrious College of Lawyers. Even the spokesperson for the Almeida Government, Inmaculada Sanz, downplayed the sanction advanced by this newspaper, considering that it was an “administrative offense.”

The delegate has once again downplayed the importance of the disqualification during the commission: “This sanction is not for the company but is personal to each of the lawyers, so it is not initially communicated to the municipal company but to them.” personally. This is a sanctioning issue for ICAM, like many others that occur with certain lawyers.”

The area asked the director of legal services, as responsible for the work carried out by the company’s lawyers, to provide the necessary documentation explaining what happened, indicated Álvaro González. The lawyers presented an appeal before the Bar Council of the Community of Madrid on December 26. As stated in article 134 of the General Statute of the Legal Profession, disciplinary sanctions will be enforceable once they are final through administrative means, the delegate has reported, who has reiterated that until the appeal is substantiated the sanction will not be final.

“What has been done is simply a change, the director of legal services is replaced,” replied the delegate to the PSOE, after emphasizing that this decision was adopted while “what is happening with the State Attorney General is being seen.” , the case of Begoña Gómez and others who surround the socialists.”

Criticism of the PSOE for its “bad practice”

The PSOE councilor Pedro Barrero has shown his “deep respect for the staff of the municipal company, who demonstrate commendable application and professionalism every day”, but not the delegate and president of EMVS Madrid, whom he has criticized for his “poor praxis and lack of control.” “Today we are not talking about espionage on President Ayuso’s family environment but rather about the disqualification by the Bar Association of the director of legal services of the company and two more lawyers for revealing secrets,” said Barrero, who demanded that González “transparency and honesty, not excuses or deception.”

Barrero has indicated that this matter has been in the hands of the Bar Association for a year, since February 2024. It addressed “a negotiation between lawyers with an estimated loss to the Municipal Housing and Land Company of 860,000 euros.”

The delegate has responded to the socialist by recalling the list of dismissals made by Manuela Carmena’s government, “supported by the PSOE”, such as that of the “secretary of the board of directors, the CEO, the director of production, the director of human resources, the director of legal services, the director of housing management, the director of works and rehabilitation, the head of the communication department, the head of the inspectors department or the head of social programs.

“Between 2015 and 2016, 26 EMVS Madrid workers were dismissed. You would surely have a reason because you were on the board of directors and voted in favor. We respect the management of the municipal company,” González concluded.

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