Prosecutors Demand Questioning of Former Valencia Official in Leaked Audio Disaster Case. Valencia prosecutors insist on questioning the former Deputy Secretary of Justice regarding the leaked audio about the storm. The recording was edited and made its way to the media, sparking scandal over the authorities' actions.
The Valencia Prosecutor's Office has requested that former deputy secretary of the regional Ministry of Justice Ricardo García be questioned as part of the investigation into the leak of an audio recording related to the tragic storm of October 29, 2024. On that day, 230 people died in the province of Valencia. The case is being handled by the Llíria court, and concerns a phone conversation between an Aemet employee and a 112 emergency operator, which was provided to the media in an abridged and distorted form.
According to the prosecutor's office, it was Ricardo García who received the original recording, which was later accessed by journalists. In the edited audio released, it seemed as if the Aemet representative underestimated the danger of the storm, while the full recording contained a warning about risks expected in the second half of the day. On the same day, then-President of the Generalitat Carlos Mazón published information about this audio fragment on social media, causing public outcry and raising questions about the authorities' actions.
The prosecution supported the motion by the Socialists (PSPV-PSOE) to question García as a suspect. Case documents note that the deputy director of emergency services, Jorge Suárez, confirmed that the recording was given to García, after which it was distributed despite its confidential nature. It was also revealed that former emergency director Alberto Martín Moratilla was searching for this recording at the request of his superiors.
According to Suarez's testimony, Garcia personally came to the Emergency Coordination Center, citing urgency and a directive from the Generalitat's leadership, and took the audio file on a flash drive. The transfer of the recording was later reported to Martin Moratilla. Both officials were dismissed: Garcia in December, Martin in January.
The scandal broke out after the full version of the conversation appeared in the media on February 13, 2025, following the distribution of a truncated recording the previous day. In it, an Aemet employee allegedly stated she would not "bother with new warnings," and that the maximum precipitation was shifting north and deeper into the province. However, the complete version confirmed that the danger remained and that after 3:00 p.m. the situation could worsen in the northern areas of Valencia.
A technical examination showed that the call storage system at the Emergency Center does not record who accesses the recordings and when. Nevertheless, according to Suarez, copies of the conversation were held by Garcia and Martin. The Socialists insist that the interest in this specific recording was not accidental, since it was the one that ended up in the media and was published on the accounts of Carlos Mazón and the regional branch of the People's Party.
In Spain, such scandals involving leaks and manipulation of official information are not uncommon. For example, earlier Renfe filed a lawsuit against Vito Quiles for ticket fraud, which also sparked public debate and discussion about the transparency of government agencies.
For reference: Aemet is the state meteorological agency, and 112 is the main emergency number in Spain. In recent years, the country has tightened regulations regarding the handling of internal information, especially following major emergencies. In such cases, prosecutors and courts pay close attention to how and why official data becomes public.
