The responsible judge for the Court of First Instance and Instruction number three in Catarroja has rejected the request to summon journalist Maribel Vilaplana as a witness in the ongoing investigation into the flood management on twenty ninth October. The judge stated that calling Vilaplana would be ‘not feasible,’ as it would substantially shift the investigation towards the actions of the President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón. The President is not a party in the current proceedings and holds a special legal status that complicates such a request.

In her ruling, the judge noted that the request was primarily aimed at exploring the President’s whereabouts and actions during the flood’s impact. The former Minister of Justice and Interior, Salomé Pradas, mentioned in her statement that she attempted communication with the President during that critical day, but any information provided came only in response to her lawyer’s queries.

The judge emphasised that if Vilaplana’s testimony were accepted, the investigation’s focus would shift disproportionately towards the President, thus complicating the legal process. Moreover, the court has denied a separate request for investigations related to the Forata dam, clarifying that these matters do not connect to the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death in Cheste.

Lastly, the judge dismissed the possibility of attributing criminal responsibility to the State Meteorological Agency for their forecasts and warned against calling any agency personnel as witnesses. The judge stated that the agency had classified the twenty ninth of October as a ‘key day’ in the context of the severe weather episode.