An investigation into municipal corruption has strongly shaken the hard core of Salvador Illa in the Government of the Generalitat following the departure of his former chief of staff, Eduard Rivas, the socialist's right-hand man in the Executive since 2024. A resignation communicated just a few hours after the investigated - and former mayor of Esparraguera - knew that the secrecy of the summary of a case that was publicly revealed 10 months ago was lifted.
Now, three weeks before the elections, controversy is breaking out and the opposition (in addition to the ERC members themselves and the common members) demand "transparency" and public explanations from the president for the management of this crisis.
The possible irregularities focus on contracts for cleaning and maintenance services for public spaces in the municipality of which Rivas was first mayor in favor of the Social Inclusion Foundation (FIL). The socialist leader is being investigated for allegedly favoring the entity - of which he was the patron along with other mayors of Baix Llobregat - and anticipating the award criteria or the result of the tenders before they occur.
This is clear from messages between him and the former manager of FIL reported by El Periódico and obtained from the dump of his mobile phone, confiscated in January by the Mossos d'Esquadra by court order and after entering the Esparraguera City Council and requesting documentation on municipal maintenance and cleaning contracts, between the years 2022 and 2024, when Ribas was the mayor.
The case, which is being investigated by Square 7 of the Court of Instance of Martorell, was initially opened to investigate the operation of the Foundation for Labor Inclusion (FIL) and the alleged irregular management of its resources. However, a separate and secret piece was later opened in which Rivas was investigated for the City Council contracts under his mandate and in which the content of the messages from his seized phone appeared.
Yesterday, and after his departure was revealed, the Government exercised caution in its public positioning, although it stressed that it was Rivas who presented his resignation. "The president has valued his gratitude and his honesty and honorability," spokesperson Silvia Paneque simply repeated. In April and after learning of his accusation, Illa transferred his "trust" to Rivas and kept him in office until this week, when the former mayor of Esparraguera announced his departure.
"Xavier Amor will replace Eduard Rivas, whom the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia thanks for the commitment and services provided and who is leaving office by his own decision," said the note distributed by the Catalan Executive on Monday night.
Rivas was one of the Catalan president's most trusted people since he left his position as mayor of Esparraguera in August 2024 after nine years, to head his cabinet in the Generalitat.
