The investigation into alleged corruption among Palma’s local police force has broadened to consider civil servants at the town hall. There are specific suggestions that payments were made to town hall staff to expedite proceedings related to the granting of business activity licences and to the removal of seals (to prevent operations). It is believed that one of the arrested police officers acted as an intermediary between the town hall and another of those arrested. Cash, it is said, was given to this intermediary by business owners and this was then delivered to town hall staff.
Of the four officers who had yet to appear in court, one of them - Nicanor G. - was ordered to be detained. The others were released, and they included the ex-commissioner, Rafael Estarellas. On leaving the court, he defended his innocence. “I’m outraged. This city doesn’t deserve something like this,” he said in reference to those suspected of corruption. He denied having given officers protection.“If I had known what was happening, I would myself have arrested these people.”
Charges against Estarellas centre on his having information regarding alleged illegal activities. For example, he has been accused of having ordered the annulling of all disciplinary proceedings against one of the officers under investigation in respect of the rigging of examinations for promotion.