In November 2024, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, did not hesitate to take advantage of the Royal Decree of aid for the DANA catastrophe to avoid the forced retirement of Commissioner José Ángel Gonzáleza high-ranking official now denounced for an alleged sexual assault with penetration. Thus, through the back door and with treachery, the Executive introduced the modification of the organic law that affects the retirement of agents at 65 years of age and “twisted” it so that “the head of the Deputy Operational Directorate of the National Police (DAO) can remain on active duty while holding said position“. Or what is the same, until Marlaska decided to leave.
Needless to say, said dismissal turned into resignation yesterday afternoon, after the Court of Violence against Women number 8 of Madrid has admitted to processing the complaint of a National Police official against him for an alleged sexual assault with penetration. And not only that, it has also been denounced by coercion, psychological injuries and embezzlement of public funds.
Without a doubt, a hard blow for Grande-Marlaska who “placed” José Ángel González in that position of trust as soon as he was appointed minister and for which he did not hesitate to modify article 5.2 of Organic Law 9/2015 of the Personnel Regime of the National Police, with the aim of delaying your retirement. An operation similar to the one carried out in the past with the DAO of the Civil Guard.
“National emergency” by a senior official
But, despite their attempts to sneak this change through the back door into the Official State Gazette (BOE), it finally came to light. “Victims in exchange for maintaining their political arm within the Police. The latest indignity of Marlaska,” denounced the PP Interior spokesperson, Ana Vázquez, one of the first to realize this ruse. And she wondered why There being 77,000 police officers and 170 chief commissioners, “only that one works for them.”
The justification for this measure, by the Executive, was included in the text of the second royal decree of aid by DANA: “In this national emergency situation I will turn outto highly dysfunctional proceed to replacement who, at the head of the Deputy Operational Directorate, is directing and coordinating on the ground the operational functions of the National Police troops.” The document also specified that “These functions become especially relevant in an emergency like the one caused by DANAparticularly in the Valencian Community, which has determined the deployment of more than 10,000 national police and civil guards, in order to rescue survivors, guarantee security and restore normality in the streets.”
It must be remembered, however, that in an appearance in the Senate in October of that same year, Marlaska already announced that they were studying how to avoid the retirement of the Police DAOto which described it as “impeccable” and “indisputable.” Their objective, they said, was to equate their situation with their counterpart in the Civil Guard, as finally reported by the BOE.
The various police unions described the initiative promoted by the ministry led by Grande-Marlaska as “shameful”, taking advantage of a national catastrophe to “enable the DAO” to have a “premium retirement.” Furthermore, the fact that the operational chief of the National Police was “the first and only member of the Corps to be allowed to enjoy this singular and exclusive privilege” generated widespread rejection among members of all police ranks.