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Innova Case: Former Reus Mayor Not Declaring Due to Being Unlocated

The court failed to summon former Reus mayor, Carles Pellicer, as a witness in the Innova case trial.

Generic image of a courthouse building in Catalonia.
IA

Generic image of a courthouse building in Catalonia.

The former mayor of Reus from 2011 to 2023, Carles Pellicer, did not appear as a witness in the Innova case trial because the court could not locate him, despite his willingness to cooperate.

The ninth day of the Innova case trial at the Provincial Court of Tarragona took an unexpected turn this Thursday. The testimony of the former mayor of Reus, Carles Pellicer, was scheduled, but he ultimately did not appear. The court admitted it had been unable to locate him, although the former mayor stated he had received no summons and was willing to cooperate with justice.
Pellicer's appearance had been requested by the defense of the accused Lluís Miquel Pérez, also a former mayor of Reus. Pellicer, who initiated an internal review of the Innova structure starting in 2011, could not be properly summoned. The court president announced that only an old email address from the City Council was available, and contact attempts had been unsuccessful.
The situation caused surprise among the involved parties. The defense for Carles Manté inquired about the possibility of locating Pellicer later or if the Reus City Council, a party to the case as popular prosecution, had updated contact information. The municipal representation stated they also had no contact with the former mayor, adding to the confusion, given his public profile in the city.
Given the impossibility of ensuring his presence, the defense for Lluís Miquel Pérez withdrew their request for his testimony. Subsequently, Carles Pellicer told the Diari that he was unaware of the summons and that his City Council email address became obsolete in 2023. He reiterated his full willingness to cooperate with justice if required.
The day had focused on testimonies related to construction companies, consultancies, and former officials linked to the contracts under investigation in the Innova case. In recent weeks, former regional ministers, health directors, auditors, and managers of public and private entities involved in the construction of the Hospital Sant Joan de Reus have testified.
The trial examines alleged irregularities in contracts and payments made by the municipal holding company Innova. It primarily scrutinizes work awarded to Carles Manté and architect Jorge Batesteza, in the context of the new hospital's construction and other healthcare projects.

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