Commission Proposed Over Fraudulent Registrations
Junts per Tortosa will propose the creation of a Special Investigation Commission into the management of the municipal padrón and allegations of fraudulent registrations during the full council meeting on 5 October 2026. The move follows the arrest of seven people in August by the Mossos d'Esquadra over suspected crimes including document forgery, fraud, and violations of foreign residents’ rights. The proposal aims to clarify inconsistencies in the municipal government’s account of how the investigation began. The town hall initially stated the case emerged from its own formal complaints, but later described it as a probe initiated ex officio by regional police. At the September plenary, Mayor Mar Lleixà confirmed that the councillor for Governance, Marga Abelló, had filed two official complaints that contributed to launching the investigation.
Claims of Prior Warnings and Inadequate Controls
Meritxell Roigé, spokesperson for Junts per Tortosa, said the commission is necessary due to contradictory statements and prior warnings that were allegedly ignored. She stated the group had raised concerns as early as October 2023, after property owners discovered people registered at their homes without consent. In summer 2024, following a request from Junts, local police inspected several addresses and found 18 homes each listing more than ten residents. Inspectors confirmed that some of those registered did not actually live at the addresses. Roigé argued these findings indicated systemic flaws and called for accountability, stating, “We’ve been asking for stricter controls for years. Now there are seven arrests, we need to know what failed.” The proposed commission would include representatives from all municipal political groups and have access to relevant documentation. Its final task would be to produce conclusions and recommendations for the full council. Junts per Tortosa insists the goal is not political blame but to identify shortcomings and strengthen the town’s registration oversight to prevent future abuse.
Primary sources: interior.gencat.cat. Reported by juntspertortosa.cat, marfanta.com, laciutat.cat, 2.tortosa.cat, laplanaradio.cat, 20minutos.es, LGI, imaginaradio.cat.
