Joan Mut (right), a former chief of Palma police, who made a court appearance last week. | Alejandro Sepulveda

TW

The investigation into alleged police corruption in Palma continues. The arrest of Tolo Cursach and last week's court appearance by former deputy mayor Álvaro Gijón are further ingredients in this long investigation, which is now looking into witness claims that police records were destroyed on the orders of two commissioners, Joan Mut and Miquel Pericás.

Officers at the Sant Ferran police headquarters have reported that in summer 2014 both of these senior officers gave these orders. They applied to personnel files and to the Playa de Palma district. In 2015, it is alleged, Pericás was responsible for the destruction of more files in Playa de Palma. Witnesses say that this was done in a selective fashion. They suspect it was done in order to benefit a specific business group that was under investigation.

The local police headquarters, now under different command, is understood to have sent a report to the court which confirms the elimination of certain sensitive documents. Among these were penalty proceedings against tiqueteros (PRs), street drinking, occupation of the public way and advertising. The files which have seemingly gone missing relate to a five-year period.

Joan Mut was in court last week and denied having showed favourable treatment to clubs belonging to Grupo Cursach.