In a case unfolding in Elche, a Civil Guard lieutenant colonel who previously led the investigation around two orders of Torrevieja coordinated efforts during the trial. The proceedings involved allegations of improper bribery and the mishandling of evidence in a broader suite of cases. The officer, at that time head of the Organic Division within the Alicante Command Judicial Police, acted as a key figure directing which locations would be inspected and which would be left aside as the investigations progressed.
During the session, the trial inspector, who at the time held the rank of captain within the Torrevieja Company and served as chief lieutenant of the Financial Patrol, reiterated to the defense that several buildings lay outside the control of the inspecting bodies. He also placed responsibility on the two officers for bringing closure to the early phase of the inquiry, noting that the officers gathered statements from around fifty witnesses and compiled internal notes that exceeded those produced by the Torrevieja Commander and the Alicante Command’s Colonel in Chief. These internal notes were cited as part of the effort to counter any claims of favoritism or arbitrary conduct in the oversight of establishments.
Competence
The inspector highlighted that the Financial Patrol conducted checks on properties outside its jurisdiction and suggested that a business tied to a captain’s partner appeared to benefit from reduced scrutiny, as it was not subject to the same auditing as similar enterprises. The lieutenant colonel emphasized during the oral hearing that several civilian guards hesitated to explain what had occurred because they feared retaliation, underscoring a culture of caution within the force during the investigation.
Alongside the lieutenant colonel, multiple civilian guards who served or were still serving at the Torrevieja barracks also testified. They indicated that some units undertook more inspections than others, yet none could confirm that they were instructed to halt inspections at the captain’s partner’s fruit shop. A representative from the Financial Patrol explained that inspections extended to grocers in Torrevieja despite the patrol not having a formal duty to do so, but he affirmed that no orders had been received from commanders to stop examining private premises, nor were there directives to suppress any complaints about the organization.
Another civilian security officer noted that no one advised him not to inspect the captain’s partner’s greengrocer, and he claimed not to have been aware of any arbitrariness in the inspections or pressure to drop complaints. The testimony suggested a gap between policy and practice in the field, with inspectors sometimes acting on their own initiative while still facing impressions of uneven oversight across different units.
Complaints
A third agent recalled a separate incident in which all entertainment venues in the port area were inspected by order of the then lieutenant, which triggered discontent from the owners of other facilities. In relating to the captain’s hospitality in the building, the two officers admitted uncertainty about whether the drinks had been paid for. A witness at a tavern where a dispute occurred between the captain and a patron who had used drugs in the restrooms stated that he did not witness the specific events and acknowledged that he had invited the police on certain occasions because he was a regular patron of the establishment. This same witness had previously worked at another bar where the owner instructed him to invite personnel to visits. The trial is expected to resume in January before the Seventh Section of the Elche-based Court.
The proceedings thus far have drawn out questions about how inspections were allocated, who benefited from certain decisions, and how the chain of command influenced the handling of sensitive cases. The court will continue to hear testimony from a range of witnesses as it coldly weighs the evidence, aiming to determine whether procedures followed proper channels or were compromised by personal influences within the ranks. The unfolding narrative remains a crucial point of reference for understanding the balance between enforcing public safety and maintaining accountability within ceremonial and operational routines in Torrevieja and the wider Alicante command structure.