Marlaska slides that his police hid the report accusing Morocco and gives wings to the thesis of 'lawfare'

The Spanish National Police chief has stated that no police report attributes Morocco with the planning or execution of the mass crossing that occurred in Ceuta on July 30 and 31. According to a statement released by the Ministry of the Interior, Francisco Pardo, the head of the National Police, informed Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska that there is no official police document linking Morocco to the organization or implementation of the large-scale migration event. This response follows a letter from Grande-Marlaska requesting clarification regarding a supposed report sent to the National Court that implicated Moroccan gendarmes in the planning and execution of the mass entry into Ceuta, which saw over 70,000 people cross into the autonomous city. Pardo met with Julian Avila, head of the General Directorate of Immigration and Borders, whose agents signed the report submitted to the National Court. The meeting also included Javier Antonio Susin, head of the General Directorate of Information. After the meeting, Pardo informed the minister that the judge overseeing the case had ordered investigators not to share information about the preparation and content of the report with their superiors, leaving Pardo unaware of its existence until recently. Today, Judge Maria Tardon authorized the investigative team to provide access to the report for their superiors. Once requested from the General Directorates of Information and Immigration and Borders, Pardo explained that the police report does not point to Rabat as responsible or instigator of the massive influx of people that took place on July 30 and 31. Regarding the warning issued by the National Center for Immigration and Borders (CENIF) on July 29, one day before the surge, Pardo clarified that this was a routine risk alert that did not mention the possibility of such a large-scale entry the following day. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has demanded through a letter that Pardo inform him at the earliest opportunity about when the police force became aware of the report concerning the Ceuta crisis, which has fueled the government's narrative. The communication, published by the ministry’s press service, suggests that the minister felt the police concealed information pointing to Morocco as responsible for the mass arrival of migrants between July 30 and 31. This move comes after Sumar MP Enrique Santiago raised the theory that members of the security forces or the National Intelligence Center (CNI) might have intentionally omitted information to harm the progressive coalition government. He argued for convening the Committee on Official Secrets in Congress to hear explanations from CNI head Esperanza Casteleiro. Santiago referred to a phrase used by former President Jose Maria Aznar in 2023, suggesting a "deep state" acting against the government elected by voters, known as the "lawfare" thesis. The government, particularly Grande-Marlaska, has consistently maintained that Morocco is a reliable partner, emphasizing full collaboration with Rabat and denying any involvement in the August 70,000-person influx. They attribute the event to immigration mafias and social media networks. However, a report published by El Español contradicts this version just hours before Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is set to address the House of Representatives about what the government knew prior to the incident. In Grande-Marlaska’s case, he repeatedly denied having received any prior warnings about the scale of the migrant influx through the Tarajal passage in Ceuta. This led to a conflict with Defense Minister Margarita Robles, who defended the CNI’s previous warnings. The rest of the cabinet supported Grande-Marlaska. The latest known report is from the National Police, specifically from an intelligence unit within the General Directorate of Immigration and Borders. It attributes monitoring of the mass arrival from the field to Moroccan agents, some in civilian clothes, and notes a police warning on July 29 about what would happen the following day. This information was included in the report sent by the National Center for Immigration and Borders (CENIF) to the National Court. The report responds to Judge Maria Tardon’s request to know about prior warnings before deciding whether to formally investigate the events.