Ex-Palma police chief: 2013 Sancus case was 'fiction'

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Toni Vera, who once led Palma's Local Police, has published an opinion piece in Última Hora arguing that the Sancus police corruption investigation rested on a false account from the outset.
• Open-Meteo forecasts a dry, overcast Saturday 10 October 2026 in the Balearic Islands, with Palma ranging from 10 to 25 degrees.
• According to Última Hora, sea freight rates between mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands have risen by an average of 8%, which could push up prices on the islands.
• The Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera has turned the death of tenant Maricarmen Abascal into a symbol of a collective defeat on housing.
• Bartolo Costa, a market vendor, told the Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera that Ibiza's citró blanc pepper arrived on Basque ships that came to the island to load salt.

Today's essentials

Ex-Palma police chief: 2013 Sancus case was 'fiction'. In an opinion column published by Última Hora on Saturday 10 October 2026, Toni Vera, the former head of Palma's Local Police, argues that the Sancus police corruption case was built on a 'fictitious account from the very first minute'.

The column is the second part of a series Vera calls the 'Trilogy of Honour'. He uses the story of David and Goliath as a metaphor for the defence lawyers in the case, who in his account were up against a far more powerful system. He credits prosecutor Tomás Herranz with helping the truth come out, and he dedicates the piece to two people he names only as Felio and Rosa. This is a signed opinion piece, not a court ruling, so read it as one side's account.

Operación Sancus began in 2013, when the judicial police searched the San Fernando barracks of Palma's Local Police, Vozpopuli reports. The case was named after Sancus, the Roman god of loyalty and good faith. Nine local officers were arrested at the time, among them former superintendent Rafel Estarellas and Biel Torres, the former head of the 'Patrulla Verde' unit. The investigation also involved two commanders, three civil servants and two former councillors responsible for security. These figures come from the early stage of the investigation in 2013 and may not match the number of people who were eventually cleared.

Palma's city hall has since taken a public position. Última Hora reported that on 28 March 2025 the council announced an institutional tribute to the officers acquitted in the Sancus case. According to Canal 4 Diario, the ceremony took place on 18 September 2026 at the San Ferran barracks, chaired by the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez Llabrés. Medals and diplomas were handed out at the proposal of JAVA, an association for victims of judicial irregularities. The same outlet says the tribute followed agreements passed by Palma's full council in July 2023 and March 2025.

What this changes for you: your day-to-day dealings with Palma's Local Police stay the same. The column does show that, more than a decade after the 2013 search, the Sancus affair still shapes how the city talks about its police and its courts. If you follow local politics or are thinking about voting in municipal elections as an EU resident, treat Vera's text as a personal defence by a former chief, and compare it with the council's official tribute before forming a view.

Weather today

Grey but dry skies across the islands. Open-Meteo forecasts an overcast, rain-free Saturday 10 October 2026 in Palma, with temperatures from 10 to 25 degrees and wind of up to 12 km/h.

In Palma the gap between the cool start and the mild afternoon is large, so take a layer for early morning and evening and expect T-shirt weather around midday. Elsewhere on Majorca, Alcudia should range from 15 to 23 degrees with gusts of up to 15 km/h. Ciutadella on Menorca stays mild all day at 19 to 23 degrees, with slightly stronger wind of up to 17 km/h. There is a 0% chance of rain at all three points, so you can plan outdoor errands or a walk without an umbrella, although the cloud cover will keep the light flat.

Transport & traffic

No transport or traffic incidents reported at time of publication.

What's changing for you

• Sea freight up 8%: expect pricier shelves. Última Hora reports that freight shipping rates between mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands have risen by an average of 8%, a new cost linked to island life that could reach residents' wallets. Most goods sold on the islands arrive by sea, so a higher shipping bill tends to feed through gradually to shop prices, especially for imported products. If you are planning a large purchase that has to be shipped from the mainland, such as furniture, appliances or building materials, ask your supplier now whether delivery costs will change. Keeping an eye on your weekly shopping receipts over the coming weeks will also show you how much of the rise is being passed on.

Local news to know

• Maricarmen, symbol of a 'collective defeat'. For the Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera, the case of Maricarmen Abascal amounts to a collective defeat: she died after leaving the home she had lived in for 71 years, and the agreement that would have let her return was reached six days later.
• Luis María Linde de Castro on Josep Pla. Economist Luis María Linde de Castro gave the opening lecture of the Fundació Rubió's 2026-2027 season with a talk titled 'Josep Pla. A great writer and a great liberal', reports Menorca (Es Diari), summing up the Catalan author's motto as 'free markets and sound money'.
• How a Basque pepper became Ibizan. According to the Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera, the citró blanc, the Ibizan name for the mild piparra pepper, reached the island on Basque ships that came to load salt, as told by Bartolo Costa, a vendor at one of Ibiza's markets.
• Rough seas expected along the coasts. The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports hazardous coastal conditions around the Balearic Islands; the official warning level comes only from AEMET, so check it on the state weather agency's website before any boat trip, swim or walk along exposed shorelines.