The judge of the National High Court María Tardón has cited as a person under investigation the former Government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, for next November 18, within the case opened for the massive entry of migrants coming from Morocco on July 30 and 31. This is the first person under investigation in this proceeding.
The decision comes after the National High Court took over in September the proceedings opened against Pérez Triano in a court in Ceuta, following the complaints filed by Manos Limpias and the lawsuits filed by other organizations. The investigation seeks to clarify both the circumstances of the mass arrival and the response of the Spanish authorities to the warnings received in the days prior.
Pérez Triano left his position at the end of September, amid controversy over the management of that crisis. His departure occurred after disagreements became known between the then delegate and his chief of staff, Gonzalo Sanz, regarding the information passed on by the National Intelligence Center (CNI).
The CNI alerts and the action of the Government Delegation
One of the issues that the National High Court is examining is what information the Spanish authorities knew before July 30 and what measures they adopted to respond to the mobilization announced on social networks.
The CNI had warned on July 29 of possible entry attempts in Ceuta coinciding with the Feast of the Throne of Morocco. The information reached Moroccan intelligence services and various Spanish officials, according to the documents later declassified by the Government.
Discrepancies about those communications triggered a crisis in the Government Delegation. Pérez Triano stated that his chief of staff had not passed on certain CNI warnings to him, while Gonzalo Sanz defended that he had communicated the information received. Sanz resigned before the delegate.
In September, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Ceuta supported that the National High Court investigate the facts jointly, considering it necessary to examine the decisions adopted, the surveillance and assistance arrangements, and the possible omissions during the crisis.
Among the offenses attributed to the former delegate in the complaints are prevarication, omission of the duty to prosecute offenses, denial of assistance, and homicide and injuries due to serious recklessness. This involves accusations made by the complainants, not judicially proven facts.
The Government authorizes the statement of two CNI agents
The summons of Pérez Triano coincides with new developments in the investigation. The Council of Ministers has authorized two CNI agents to testify before Judge Tardón about the information they handled prior to the massive entry.
The Executive has also approved the declassification of new information notes and communications from the intelligence services with Morocco. Among the documentation requested are the prior notices to the crisis and the list of Spanish authorities that received them.
The National High Court will now have to determine what those responsible for border security knew, what instructions they issued, and whether there were actions or omissions with criminal relevance. The appearance of the former delegate, scheduled for November 18, will be the first statement in the capacity of an investigated party within this case.