The residents of the small town of San Fulgencio (Alicante) are in agreement that the recent wave of inspections in all the businesses in the municipality, which was allegedly ordered by the chief of the Generalitat Police in Elche as a form of personal revenge after being fined 120 euros for throwing away belongings, has caused them great dissatisfaction.
Sourses say Fernando Gómez, the head of the National Police Unit in Elche, allegedly took matters into his own hands after being apprehended by the Guardia Civil at the end of last December for dumping construction debris and personal belongings into a container in the municipality.
The Local Police proposed a minor fine of 120 euros after the Guardia Civil notified them that the remains were from a renovation at a friend’s home and accompanied him to the house.
The commander visited the municipality’s Town Hall at the end of February to present a statement of charges and attempt to resolve the disciplinary proceedings. He informed the official that he was the head of the regional police. The disciplinary proceedings were notified through SUMA.
In the immediate aftermath, he entered the mayor’s office behind closed doors. The man’s threats, including “You don’t know who I am!”, were heard by officials in the open-plan room from the outside. According to sources that this newspaper has consulted, “You will see!”
The initial directive he issued to his agents upon his return from vacation was to conduct a comprehensive inspection of all establishments in the municipality on March 9th and 10th, utilising all available resources, including businesses over which the National Police have no jurisdiction. This action could potentially be considered a presumption of abuse of power.
They parked in front of the Local Police Headquarters, blocking the street, in order to “challenge” the officers of the municipal force, according to the same sources. They did not inform them of the cause for their actions or greet them.
Consequently, the agents entered kiosks, tobacconists, hairdressers, drugstores, and supply stores, which had never occurred in these establishments before, as they are not subject to the Public Shows Law 14/2010.
Approximately twenty establishments were inspected, and a variety of inspection reports and complaints were submitted. This has caused significant distress among the nearly 10,000 residents of San Fulgencio and its Local Police.
The manager of the municipality’s first tobacconist shop affirms to this newspaper that the regional police entered the establishment and that “they only left one bar uninspected.”
José María Ballester, the mayor, acknowledges that residents have enquired about the unprecedented surge on numerous occasions. “This is the first time this has occurred.” “The inspections are conducted in accordance with the law; that is, one must possess the opening licence and all necessary documentation to conduct the activity,” he emphasises. Typically, the Local Police are responsible for conducting the inspections to prevent the underground economy.
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