Catalonia’s Antifraud Office has opened an investigation into the urgent hiring of the Ripoll mayor’s daughter as a local police officer. The process, led by Sílvia Orriols, is under review for possible legal breaches.
The Catalan Antifraud Office (OAC) has launched an official investigation into the controversial appointment of Guinadell Orriols, the eldest daughter of Ripoll’s mayor Sílvia Orriols, as an interim local police officer. The inquiry follows a formal complaint questioning whether the urgent selection process, initiated to fill a long-vacant police post, adhered to all legal requirements. The case has drawn significant attention due to the direct involvement of the mayor, who also oversees the municipality’s public security portfolio.
According to sources familiar with the proceedings, the OAC has accepted the complaint and begun a preliminary review. Investigators will now request documentation from the Ripoll council and may conduct interviews and on-site inspections. The outcome could range from the case being closed to recommendations or even disciplinary or administrative actions if irregularities are found.
Sílvia Orriols, leader of the Aliança Catalana party, has publicly defended the hiring, insisting she played no role in her daughter’s selection and that the process was transparent. However, official records show the mayor holds ultimate authority over the local police and validated key steps in the recruitment, including the appointment of the selection panel. Notably, the current police chief, Francesc Campayo, was excluded from the panel due to being on leave, amid ongoing tensions with both the mayor and the municipal secretary following a disciplinary dispute.
The appointment has sparked political backlash in Ripoll. The Junts municipal group has called for Orriols to step aside from her security responsibilities, citing potential conflicts of interest. Meanwhile, PSC councillors have formally requested an independent review of the entire hiring process, arguing that transparency is essential given the controversy. This demand for scrutiny echoes previous calls for oversight, as seen when opposition parties intensified pressure over the same issue, detailed in a recent report on the PSC’s push for an independent audit.
One of the contentious points in the process was the removal of Campayo from the selection tribunal, which some see as undermining impartiality. Campayo’s absence was attributed to vacation, but his relationship with the mayor’s office has been strained since disciplinary measures were taken against him for alleged minor infractions—issues later linked to technical problems with his work registration card, as confirmed by the town’s IT department.
The OAC’s investigation will focus on whether the urgent procedure for filling the interim police position met all legal standards and whether the mayor’s dual role created an unacceptable conflict of interest. The findings could have broader implications for local governance and hiring practices in Catalonia. The case highlights ongoing debates about transparency and accountability in municipal appointments, especially when family ties and political authority intersect.
In Catalonia, the OAC is tasked with preventing corruption and ensuring integrity in public administration. Its interventions can lead to recommendations, disciplinary actions, or referrals to other authorities if wrongdoing is detected. The scrutiny of Ripoll’s police hiring process underscores the growing demand for oversight in local government, particularly in cases involving potential nepotism or conflicts of interest. The outcome of this investigation may set a precedent for similar cases across the region.
