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The 27th Investigating Court of Barcelona has summoned the Councilor for Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition of Barcelona, Eloi Badia, as under investigation for the controversial transfer of a municipal property to a youth entity linked to the ‘squat’ movement from the Gràcia neighbourhood, the Tres Lliris collective, to whom they also paid for renovations, forgave the rent and have managed to renew the assignment agreement despite multiple neighborhood complaints about noise and incivility.
In addition to Badia, the judge also summons to testify four officials municipal officials for the alleged favor and prevarication treatment they did in this case, which the neighbors have been denouncing for years, as reported by ‘El País’ on Tuesday. The complaint focuses especially on the transfer of uses that was formalized in September 2017 and that has been renewed and argues that it was made without a contest or prior auction since the transfer was decided in advance.
Municipal sources assure that the City Council will collaborate with the court “providing all the necessary documentation”, according to Ep. From the council they have always clung to defending that the transfer of use of the premises to the collective was made after months of negotiations and dialogue with the neighborhood and based on the fact that there was a deficit of facilities in the neighborhood for young people and that take advantage of the facilities, an old police station of the National Police Corps owned by the Municipal Housing Institute located on Nil i Fabra street, «it was a historical demand of youth entities.
Works paid for, noise and dozens of interventions by Urbana
However, for part of the neighbors the story is completely different. The premises were ‘squatted’ by the Casal Popular Tres Lliris, which months before had been evicted by the Mossos from another premises. Far from asking for another police intervention and despite being municipally owned, the Consistory ended up giving in to the pressure of the group: it accepted a youth project from the group, which was established as a legal entity shortly before, and signed the transfer of the premises with a corresponding cost of various works inside worth at least 94,623.95 euros, as confirmed by ABC.
The transfer was, at the very least, cause for suspicion from the outset, to begin with because there was no neither public contest nor publicity about. Later, the City Council did nothing when the payments of some monthly installments were not fulfilled, which had, by the way, ridiculous amounts. Or neither when it was learned that the premises did not have the corresponding license processed.
A separate case have been the multiple complaints from neighbors about the inconvenience caused by Tres Lliris and that even led the Barcelona Ombudsman to request an action against the noise at night. With the Covid, the situation became more tense when living illegal parties. In three years, for example, there were 119 records of the Urban Guard for incidents and 28 complaints about it, but with no penalty. Despite all these episodes, the Consistory renewed the assignment with the group at the beginning of the year.
Badia, implicated in another court case
Badia’s appointment with the judge is known the same week in which it has been known that a judge has agreed to investigate the Sant Adrià incinerator, managed by the public company Tersa and chaired by the same councilor. The Court of Instruction number 5 of Badalona (Barcelona) will analyze whether the plant incurred in a possible crime against the environment and natural resources after a complaint filed at the end of March by the Prosecutor’s Office that has now been admitted for processing.
Sources consulted agree, however, that at the moment the investigations are not directed against any specific person, but it is investigating how the incinerator works. For this reason, the judge has requested documentation for the time being to advance the investigation proceedings. However, the complaint from the Prosecutor’s Office pointed out Badia himself and the company’s operating manager as responsible.
www.abc.es
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism