Josep Tomàs Salàs, who served as a judge in Manresa, was sworn into office at a ceremony held this Wednesday at the Parliament. During his speech, he thanked his predecessor, Miguel Ángel Gimeno, recalling that Gimeno took office in 2016 during a difficult period for the office following the controversy involving the former director, Daniel de Alfonso.
“"rigorous institutional loyalty and political neutrality"
Salàs's career includes having been the presiding magistrate of criminal court number 22 in Barcelona, in addition to serving in Manresa and Vic. Between 2011 and 2016, he was a lawyer attached to the presidency of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC). Previously, he worked as a lawyer for the Administration of Justice (2008-2010) and as an attorney (1996-2008).
The new director stated that his objective is to "definitively consolidate" the OAC, highlighting it as a fundamental tool for public integrity and democratic quality for the country. For his part, the President of the Parliament, Josep Rull, noted that the event occurs at a time when democracy "is severely threatened worldwide".
On the legislative front, the Government has included a modification in the Preliminary Draft Law on fiscal measures to allocate the proceeds from sanctions imposed by the OAC to the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption. This measure follows the OAC fining a company 600,000 euros in December 2025 for retaliating against a whistleblower.
