Disc Hard Drive Ruling Keeps Case Moving

The trial concerning alleged misconduct at the Institut Municipal de Serveis Socials (IMSS) in Tarragona during the tenure of former mayor Josep Fèlix Ballesteros continues, after the provincial court rejected motions to exclude the most controversial evidence: a hard drive containing digital communications. Presided over by judge Maria Espiau, the Audiencia Provincial has ruled that the hard drive, seized from IMSS offices and later accessed by an internal technician before being handed over to the Civil Guard, will remain admissible in the trial for now. Although the defence teams challenged its legality on grounds of chain of custody and improper access, the court stated that its final validity will be assessed during sentencing. Crucially, the tribunal confirmed the device will not be excluded from proceedings at this stage.

The hard drive won’t be excluded from the procedure.

The drive, which contains internal emails and documents, is considered central to the prosecution’s case. The court ruled that expert testimony, including from the technician who accessed it and the officers who seized it, will be required to determine its admissibility conclusively.

Secret Judicial Proceedings Examined

The court also dismissed a joint request from the public prosecutor and CUP to transcribe statements made during the pre-trial investigation phase. This phase, which began in 2013 following a CUP complaint, was conducted under judicial secrecy for three years, two initial periods followed by an extension. Defence lawyers argued that the prolonged secrecy, extended through administrative notes rather than active judicial work, violated defendants’ right to a fair defence. While the court acknowledged the excessive duration of the secrecy, it ruled this did not invalidate the proceedings or amount to a breach of rights at the time.

The tribunal appreciates an excessive use of secrecy in proceedings.

The court also rejected a defence motion to dismiss the case on grounds of lack of standing by the prosecution in civil liability claims against PSC-affiliated individuals. This preserves the possibility of civil penalties against the party.

Key Witnesses and Corporate Liability

The tribunal approved the testimony of Laia Estrada, former CUP councillor and regional MP, after a request by the prosecution and CUP. Estrada is expected to shed light on how internal information about the alleged scheme surfaced, reportedly via an anonymous email received by a member of the IMSS staff committee. However, the court did not require that member to testify, a point criticised by defence lawyers. Estrada reportedly verified the information using press clippings, despite the case being under judicial secrecy at the time. The court also dismissed arguments that the company Inipro should be excluded from civil liability following the death of its administrator, Ricard Campàs. The firm is accused of receiving public funds through contracts for social media campaigns managed under the social services budget.

Proceedings were briefly delayed after 7 October due to the temporary unavailability of one of the defence lawyers. The trial, which held its first two sessions on 2 and 7 October 2026, is scheduled to resume on 16 October if no further setbacks occur. The case, officially known as the Inipro investigation, centres on allegations of financial mismanagement and improper contracting during Ballesteros’ administration. It has drawn significant political attention in Catalonia due to the senior figures involved and the scale of the claims.

Reported by elmon.cat, diaridetarragona.com, DiariTots21, laciutat.cat, tac12.tv, parlament.cat, Parlament de Catalunya, diarimes.com, g.tejedor, El Món.