Judge summons provincial roads deputy Reme Mazzolari as witness in Catarroja DANA probe

The judge in Catarroja investigating the management of the October 29, 2024 DANA floods has summoned Valencia provincial roads deputy Reme Mazzolari to testify as a witness, according to a court order reported on May 22. The same order asks Mazzolari and provincial fire services deputy Avelino Mascarell to voluntarily provide records of calls they made on the day of the emergency. The move follows testimony from former Chiva mayor Amparo Fort, who told the court she called both deputies during the flooding. The case is examining decisions taken during the disaster response in Valencia province. ### Why did the judge call Reme Mazzolari now? Amparo Fort’s testimony triggered the new step. Fort, Chiva’s former mayor, told the judge that on October 29, 2024 she phoned both Mazzolari and Mascarell as conditions in the municipality deteriorated during the storm. The judge’s order was issued after that appearance, according to reporting that cited a ruling provided by the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community. (elespanol.com) The order also reopens scrutiny of Mascarell’s communications. The judge agreed to summon him again in case he wants to provide calls made before 6:55 p.m. on October 29, 2024 to the then-mayor of Chiva, according to the same reports. ### What did Amparo Fort tell the court about that day in Chiva? (elespanol.com) Fort said heavy rain began early on October 29, paused, and intensified again around 3 p.m. She told the court that around 5 p.m. she received a call from the provincial authority asking about the barranco, and at that point she believed it was still under control. She said conditions worsened quickly, with water carrying cars and containers. (elespanol.com) Fort said that by about 5:30 p.m. there were already emergency calls to 112 from people in Chiva facing “very serious” problems. She told the judge that around 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. “vino un golpe de agua brutal,” describing a sudden surge that flooded everything. At that point, she said, she called Mascarell to say the area was already inundated. (elespanol.com) ### Why is Avelino Mascarell already central to the case? Mascarell, who is also mayor of Xeraco and the provincial official responsible for the firefighters’ consortium, testified in the case on March 2, 2026. During that appearance, he said those at the Cecopi emergency coordination meeting were not “pendientes” of then regional president Carlos Mazón because former Interior minister Salomé Pradas was already there, according to reports on the hearing. (elespanol.com) Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra challenged parts of Mascarell’s account, according to El País and RTVE. She said it was not credible that he could not remember key discussions at Cecopi, including what was said about the Forata dam risk and other operational decisions taken during the emergency meeting in L’Eliana, which began at 5 p.m. on October 29, 2024. (rtve.es) ### What records is the court trying to collect? The judge asked the phone company identified by Fort to send her mobile bill so court staff can check the list of calls she made on October 29, 2024 in connection with the emergency. The court separately requested that Mazzolari and Mascarell voluntarily hand over their own call records from that day. (elpais.com) Those requests focus the inquiry on who was contacted, and when, as local officials and provincial authorities responded to the flooding in Chiva and surrounding areas. That inference is based on the specific call logs the judge requested after Fort said she had contacted both deputies. (elespanol.com) ### What happens next in the Catarroja investigation? The next procedural steps include Mazzolari’s witness testimony, Mascarell’s possible supplementary submission of earlier calls, and the court’s review of Fort’s phone bill once it is received. The court has not, in the reports reviewed, published a date for Mazzolari’s appearance. (elespanol.com) The Catarroja investigation remains active, with Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra continuing to gather testimony and documentary evidence about decisions taken on October 29, 2024 by local, provincial and regional officials during the DANA emergency. (elespanol.com)