The investigation into the major flood that claimed 229 lives in Valencia continues. This time, a judge from Catarroja has officially sent Carlos Mazón a written notice: the president of the autonomous community now has the opportunity to voluntarily appear in court to testify as a suspect. This is the first such move in a case that has kept the entire province on edge for several months.
Attention to Mazón has increased after journalist Maribel Vilaplana changed her account of the events surrounding the lunch at the El Ventorro restaurant on the day of the disaster. She admitted that the meeting lasted longer than she previously claimed and that she left the venue an hour later. This detail prompted the court to re-examine exactly how the president spent the critical hours when Valencia was under water.
The judge also expressed interest in Mazón’s phone conversations during the lunch, especially his contacts with former head of the justice and interior department, Salomé Pradas, who is already a defendant in the case. In her letter, Vilaplana noted that the president did not appear concerned by the numerous calls he received that day.
For now, Mazón can only testify on his own initiative. If mandatory appearance is required, the decision must be made by the High Court of the Valencia region. Meanwhile, the judge had already suggested that Mazón come in March, when two of his former subordinates came under investigation. At that time, he refused to participate in the investigative actions.
In the regional parliament, the opposition’s proposal for Mazón to voluntarily testify did not receive support from the ruling parties. Meanwhile, the ultraconservative organization Hazte Oír has once again become involved in the case, after the court allowed it to act as a popular prosecutor upon payment of bail. Previously, they were excluded from the proceedings, but now they are returning to continue their fight for justice in this high-profile case.
