After nearly four decades with the Alicante Public Prosecutor’s Office, the last two years serving as the anti-corruption chief, Felipe Briones has stepped down from the provincial institution following his appointment in the Supreme Court being published in the Official State Bulletin. He was proposed for the new role in the latest meeting of the Fiscal Council.
On Tuesday Briones visited the prosecutor’s headquarters, located at the City Hall square, where his current office is, marking his final day before joining the Supreme Court’s Penal division in a new destination.
With the backing of the deputy prosecutor of the General Prosecutor’s Office, Angela Sanchez Conde, the head of the Fiscal Inspection, Maria Antonia Sanz, and two members of the Union of Prosecutors, Birones captured the only open seat in that section.
His departure leaves a vacancy in the provincial office that will require provisional coverage, a matter the chief prosecutor Jorge Rabasa said would be addressed in the coming days.
The next step is to determine how to fill the gap Briones leaves in Anti-Corruption, where he shared duties with Pablo Romero, who will continue to operate in a particularly challenging area.
As in similar past cases, the vacancy will be announced within the provincial prosecutor’s environment so that anyone interested can apply, a process commonly called a small competition. Rabasa noted that while the position is being filled, the two Anticorruption liaison officers in the province, Fran Marco in Elche and Luis Cabrera in Benidorm, will assist Romero on this matter.
Felipe Briones began his career in the public prosecutor’s office in 1985. His first posting was in the Las Palmas prosecutor’s office, and since 1986 he has served in Alicante. He is also a First Instance and Investigation judge since 1986, currently on leave. He has held roles as coordinator of the Social, Labor Accident, Environment, Consumption, Immigration, and Civil Registry divisions.
Access to the Supreme Court Prosecutor’s Office follows a nearly decade after another senior Alicante prosecutor made a similar move. There is a strong possibility of a shared section with that former head, given that a position remains open after the retirement of a senior judge in the penal division.
During the summer of 2020, Briones vied for the headship of the Alicante Prosecutor’s Office against Jorge Rabasa, who had held the post since 2014 and sought reelection. The Fiscal Council, with the votes of conservative members, favored continuity through reelection.
Another senior prosecutor, Teresa Gisbert, also stepped down as Superior Prosecutor for the Community, leaving the role of Coordinating Prosecutor for Minors, now taken by a successor.
Note: This summary reflects leadership changes within the Alicante Public Prosecutor’s Office and outlines succession steps and interim coverage mechanisms as the office adjusts to the new configuration. Attribution: Public records and official council announcements.