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The Supreme Court has asked the Senate for a request to be able to act against PP senator José Manuel Baltar, investigated for driving at 215 kilometers per hour in a section limited to 120. In an order notified this Friday, the Criminal Chamber responds to the request which was formulated two days ago by the investigator of the case, Judge Ana Ferrer, who demanded that the Chamber request that the Upper House lift Baltar's immunity, a mandatory procedure to be able to take criminal action against an accused.
The decision is now in the hands of the PP, which has the absolute majority in the Senate and will have to decide whether to remove the shield from its parliamentarian or prevent the high court from moving forward with the case.
For now, the popular parliamentary group in the Upper House avoids commenting on the matter, reports
Virginia Martínez.
The Supreme Court opened a case against Baltar last November, after the Zamora court to which the case initially fell (the events occurred in this province) inhibited itself after proving that the former leader of the Orense PP is now a senator.
Baltar testified before Judge Ana Ferrer on December 19 and denied the facts, but the judge believes that the case should move forward.
This decision has the support of the Prosecutor's Office, which demands for the senator a six-month fine at a rate of 10 euros per day and a one-year withdrawal of his driving license.
The order of the Supreme Court that asks the Senate to lift his immunity is signed by judges Manuel Marchena (president of the Criminal Chamber), Andrés Martínez Arrieta, Julián Sánchez Melgar, Eduardo de Porres and Ángel Luis Hurtado, who have examined the request of Judge Ferrer and concluded that the requirements are met to request authorization from the Upper House to act against Baltar.
The leader of the Orense PP was intercepted on the afternoon of April 23, 2023, traveling at 215 kilometers per hour at the wheel of an official car on the A-52, near the municipality of Asturianos, in the province of Zamora.
The Civil Guard stopped him and fined him 600 euros and the withdrawal of six points from his driving license.
According to sources from the Government Subdelegation in Zamora, initially the matter was processed as an administrative infraction, but the agents verified that Baltar's excessive speed falls within the limits to be considered an alleged crime against road safety and sent to justice.
The Supreme Court instructor, after listening to Baltar's explanations and studying the documents included in the case, maintains that there is sufficient evidence of a crime to act against the senator.
Judge Ferrer rejects one of the popular politician's main defense arguments, which focused on the fact that, as he had already paid the fine, he could not be investigated.