A judge investigates alleged irregular expenses in Jucil, the main association of civil guards | Spain

New episode in The internal war that shakes since the end of last year the Professional Association Justice for the Civil Guard (Jucil). The head of the Court of Instruction number 3 of León, Beatriz Serrano Díez, has issued a car that orders to open previous proceedings to investigate supposed economic irregularities within this organization. The magistrate’s decision occurs after last March 14, five former leaders of the Association filed a complaint in which they accused the current general secretary, Ernesto Vilariño, of “numerous irregularities that suggest an improper use of the funds of the association” for personal expenses. Jucil is the majority association among civil guards After winning, in October 2020, the internal elections to the Civil Guard Council – Collegiate Organ in which the representatives of the agents and the administration participate to address labor and professional issues – with 15,070 votes and get six of the 16 positions reserved for professional associations in this body. In autumn, elections will be held again.

In the complaint that has given rise to the judicial investigation, critics say that Vilariño allegedly used jucil money for personal expenses such as meals in restaurants and accommodation in hotels, altered accounting records and hid information about the financial statement of the association. The complainants, gathered on the Regene We Jucil platform, consider these facts constituting crimes of improper appropriation, fraud, falsification of documents and unfair administration. Specifically, they accused him of « carrying out personal expenses with the association’s corporate card, imputing the same uncertain or non -justified concepts. » Among these disbursements, they detailed in their complaint that there were « consumption in luxury establishments, purchases in stores not related to the activities of the association, and the use of personal services, such as public transport » made during a trip to Seville in October 2020 and that amounted to just over 500 euros. Vilariño and the current direction deny irregularities and insist that they have commissioned an external audit to dismantle these accusations.

In the Judicial Resolution, issued on March 28 and communicated on Monday to the parties, Judge Beatriz Serrano points out, however, that these facts denounced “present characteristics that presume the possible existence of (a) crime of fraud (all assumptions)” and that by not being “determined the nature and circumstances of such facts or the people who have intervened” proceed to initiate previous proceedings and practice “those essential”. Specifically, the Jucil Board of Directors gives a month to « contribute the documentation that it deems timely in justification of their allegations and identify those who have knowledge or relationship with the facts denounced. »

Waiting for receiving this documentation, the judge – which has now rejected to practice other proceedings requested by the complainants, such as the declaration of the Secretary General, of several witnesses as well as collecting certain information from the Ministry of Interior – also agrees “the provisional dismissal and the archive of the present case” waiting to receive the documentation requested to decide then whether or not to continue with the investigation.

After knowing the decision of the magistrate, the complainants have issued a statement in which they claim that the Board of Directors provide “the maximum collaboration with justice” and insist that they also provide them with “access to all relevant economic information, in compliance with the principle of transparency required by internal regulations and the will of the affiliates”. A spokesman for the current Board ensures that, until now, they have not received the notification of the court to deliver the documentation and insist that the complaint has no livelihood and is a “revenge of a group of former leaders”.

The decision of the Judge of León is a new episode of the war within Jucil has been brewing for a long time, but it was exacerbated after the resignation at the end of last November of which he was secretary of communication and face of the association before the media, Agustín Leal, supposedly by pressures of his companions of the executive. At the exit of Leal, he was also followed by the resignation of the association’s general coordinator in the Canary Islands and the cessations of some provincial leaders. All this led on February 3 in the dissemination, by critics, of a letter to the associates in which, in addition to the alleged accounting irregularities, the alleged politicization was denounced in the current direction of Jucil. The letter then described the situation of « unsustainable » and claimed « a deep regeneration and urgent measures that guarantee the reputation and good name of our organization. »

That letter was answered by the Executive Committee of Jucil with complaints. The Association presented on February 28 a against several secretaries and former provincial secretaries for the alleged commission of the crimes of slander and serious insults and revelation of secrets. On that same date, Vilariño himself filed another against the same people who also accused an alleged crime of coercion. The latter has been admitted to process, according to sources close to the Secretary General. The current direction of the Association then made public a statement in which, in addition to remembering these legal measures, he said he would not allow « unfounded attacks » and showed his confidence that « justice will clarify the facts and restore the honorability of the association and its secretary general. »

Since then, the Courts of León – city in which the association is registered – have assumed the prominence in the internal conflict. Before the decision known Monday, another magistrate, in this case the head of the Court of Instruction number 1 of the same city, took a statement on April 10 to Vilariño to respond to the lawsuit filed by critics for not having let them attend a meeting held in Madrid a month before in which they were going to discuss, precisely, issues related to Jucil accounts. Critics accused the secretary general of having pressed them and opening disciplinary files with suspension of their rights allegedly irregular to prevent their assistance. In addition, on April 24 Vilariño will declare in a third court for the complaint that filed against critics for injuries and slander.