Problems Grow in ERC: Alleged Corruption Corners Joan Ignasi Elena

Oriol Junqueras was very optimistic in December when he was reelected president of ERC. But the internal reorganization of the party is proving more challenging than he thought. To the problems now adds the investigation by the Mossos d'Esquadra into an alleged corruption case involving the former Interior Minister, Joan Ignasi Elena.

The Anti-Corruption Office received a complaint in 2022 about alleged irregularities in the awarding of contracts by the Altafulla City Council. The council, then controlled by the Comunes, allegedly split contracts awarded to the same company. It is a consultancy led by the former ICV leader, Joan Herrera, and the former Interior Minister, Joan Ignasi Elena.

After reopening the case, the investigating judge has decided to extend the investigation in light of new evidence. In fact, the case is gaining momentum. Things are not looking good for ERC, which is facing another scandal.

New Information

According to the latest information published by El Món, the Mossos suspect that the consultancy under suspicion may have charged for fictitious work to several city councils.

The irregularities are said to have occurred in 2017. Elena's company billed for unjustified work in city councils such as Barcelona, Santa Coloma, Viladecans, and Esplugues de Llobregat. Additionally, it also worked for the Legislature and the Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat (FGC).

The Mossos found a large amount of documentation in the consultancy's records. The most striking thing was that most of the awards were for minor contracts (amounts less than €15,000). It is a modality widely used to evade controls, but it clearly contravenes the law.

Investigators are now analyzing the contracts to clarify whether they were justified or if they were fictitious work. The judge will then have to decide what the next steps are, although things do not look good for those investigated.

The mayor of the Altafulla City Council at the time was Félix Alonso, currently a deputy of the Comunes in Congress. The awards of the Barcelona City Council, then led by Ada Colau, and L'Hospitalet, whose mayor was Núria Parlon, are also being investigated. Joan Herrera had recently left the leadership of ICV, while Joan Ignasi Elena was at that time a deputy of the PSC.

ERC, Downhill Without Brakes

All this is reminiscent of the case for which Laura Borràs was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 13 years of disqualification. But in this case, it could be even more serious. If it is finally proven that they charged for fictitious work, we would no longer be talking only about contract splitting but also about illicit enrichment.

The case implicates Joan Ignasi Elena just when he was being considered as Oriol Junqueras's choice to lead the ERC parliamentary group in Catalonia. Elena was one of the few ministers of Pere Aragonès who openly supported Junqueras's candidacy at the national congress. This has made him one of his key men in Parliament, where the new leadership is looking for profiles with institutional stature like Elena.

The former Interior Minister was a very controversial figure for denying the rise of insecurity in Catalonia and pointing to the opposition. It remains to be seen how the investigation evolves. But the shadow of suspicion threatens to further discredit ERC, which is struggling to recover.