“Could they have incurred an administrative infraction? Very possibly. On the part of His Honor there will be no problem in acknowledging it and paying the corresponding fine, but adjusting the facts to the reality of what happened, not to the versions that are circulating.” This is how those around the magistrate of the Court of Instruction Number 4 of Arrecife, Ricardo Fiestras, have responded to the controversy unleashed after it became known that this Thursday he was surprised by the Civil Guard at a party in a villa in the municipality of Yaiza, violating the regulations against Covid.
Following this episode, which led to a proposed sanction by the Civil Guard, it has also been questioned whether the magistrate tried to use his position or had an inappropriate attitude with the agents, something that those around him deny. For that reason, they wanted to convey their version of the events to La Voz, although this media has also accessed the video of the agents' intervention.
According to people close to the judge, the magistrate was staying with his partner in this chalet, within a tourist complex that is closed due to the health crisis. In addition, another couple of friends was also staying in the same complex. Another adult and the children of the two couples with their girlfriends joined them this Thursday. The latter, according to the same sources told this media, are university students who had just arrived from Madrid. It so happens that one of those who was in the villa is Fernando Becerra, convicted in the Caso Unión.
In total, they admit that nine people gathered, when the current regulations in Lanzarote - which is at alert level 4 due to the incidence of Covid - only allows meetings of a maximum of two people if they do not live together. At that time, they admit that they started having a party in the pool, drinking beer and playing music, which led a neighbor to call the Civil Guard.
According to the judge's entourage, when the agents arrived he had retired to the living room, where he was watching TV with his partner. There, they claim that upon seeing several Civil Guard units, some of the young people “got scared and went to hide,” while another went to warn Ricardo Fiestras, “knowing that he was a judge, to see if he could handle the situation.”
Always according to this version of those affected, he then left the living room and went to the porch. “Without any kind of grandstanding, disrespect, or taking advantage of his position, and without initially identifying himself as a magistrate, he proceeded to identify the people who were in the house and the agent who was there, he asked him with all the kindness and respect to identify himself to know who he was in case the matter later transcended,” they maintain.
Then, they relate that a corporal who was also present identified himself as the person in charge of the proceedings, so the judge also asked him “please” for his agent number. It was at that moment when they claim that Ricardo Fiestras referred to his status as a magistrate, but they maintain that he limited himself to asking: “Do you know that I am the investigating judge?”. To this, they claim that the agents' response was: “Yes, yes, we know you, Your Honor.” In addition, they also emphasize that there was no lawyer from the administration of justice (what was previously known as a judicial secretary) at the party, as has been published. As La Voz has been able to confirm, there was a lawyer, who is the judge's partner, but not a judicial official.
After identifying all those present and taking their statements, the agents left, with that proposal for a sanction for an administrative offense. In this regard, those around the judge insist on assuring that there was no attempt by the magistrate to obstruct the work of the Civil Guard.
In addition, although they point out that they do not want to give “excuses” about the fact itself, they also emphasize that the magistrate recently passed Covid-19, so they understand that he has antibodies. “The four people who were there have antibodies,” they point out with respect to the two couples who were initially in the complex, although not the other five.
However, they admit that this party constituted a “violation of the rules” and affirm that they are willing to accept the sanction that may be imposed on them.
For its part, the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands has not commented on these events and does not plan to intervene, as they consider it to be “a particular matter.”
