Zoido's "military-grade weapons" were rifles used by the Catalan police for counter-terrorist actions

In the statement of former minister of the Interior Juan Ignacio Zoido on Thursday in the Supreme Court, prosecutor Consuelo Madrigal asked him about an "attempt to purchase armament" by the Catalan police in 2017.

After thinking it over for a few seconds, Zoido answered that, when he took up his duties in November 2016, there was a request for what he described as "military-grade weapons":

"I recall that, towards late 2016, there was a request to purchase weapons, which they often use, weapons... weapons known as military-grade weapons, and ammunition, the traditional sort they usually consume and use, as well as different ammunition for the military-grade weapons."   

"When I was asked about this pending request, I gave orders not to process it and, after mulling it over with the Directorate-General of the Guardia Civil as well as the competent Directorate-General of the Ministry of Defence, we deemed neither the number of weapons requested, nor their type, nor the ammunition, which was requested in significant amounts, were justified."

Former minister of the Interior Juan Ignacio Zoido on Thursday in the Supreme Court

Madrigal asked him if these "military-grade weapons" included grenade launchers, and Zoido said he did not remember. The former minister stated that their purchase was not authorised "because it was not deemed to be necessary."

"For combating terrorism"

On Friday, the minister of the Interior, Miquel Buch, said that Zoido has "gaps" in his memories or is "forgetful" because he did not say that the Ministry of the Interior had previously approved of such purchases of weapons by the Catalan police.

Buch did not deny that these weapons could be used in war, but he guaranteed that the Catalan police requested them to "combat terrorism".

The minister took advantage of the occasion to implicitly accuse the former minister of being responsible for having banned the purchase and that, by doing so, he left the population "unprotected":

"The tools we decided to purchase and which the Ministry decided to approve are the tools the police uses to face the 4 out of 5 terrorist alert level there is currently in Spain, there is currently in Catalonia, as there was on 17 August, if you recall, as well as in the rest of Europe."

"Therefore, by preventing this purchase, the only thing he did was leave Catalans unprotected."

Buch also stated that Zoido did not tell the truth when he said the Catalan police did not do its duty on 1-O. 

Toni Castejón, spokesman for the SAP-Fepol trade union, on Friday

"An irresponsible gesture"

According to Toni Castejón, the spokesman for SAP-Fepol, the majority union in the Catalan police, not to authorise the purchase was "an irresponsible gesture":

"All of this is part of political foul play, so to speak, and we in the Catalan police have always found ourselves in the crossfire. There was an attempt to turn everything on its head with each purchase."

"And someone attempted to give this purchase of weapons which, I insist, are absolutely necessary, a warlike connotation, which is absolutely shameful and false."

Castejón stated that all European police forces have weapons of this nature, because they are necessary in terrorist attacks in which "you are faced with similar weapons."

He also said that the ammunition, 5 million cartridges, did not arrive either, and this led to police officers being practically unable to practice with the weapons they already had.

A squabble in September 2017

The request for these weapons gave rise to a political squabble in September 2017, when then-minister of the Interior, Joaquim Forn, currently in jail on remand and accused of rebellion before the Supreme Court, complained that the purchase was not approved.

It was then known that, after islamist attacks such as the ones in Bataclan  or Charlie Hebdo in Paris, in which terrorists used Kalashnikov rifles, in October 2016, the previous minister, Jordi Jané, had requested the purchase of 1,000 long-barrelled weapons and 5 million cartridges.

The Ministry of the Interior authorised their purchase in late November, saying that the State Secretariat had issued a favourable report, and that it would forward it to the Directorate-General of the Guardia Civil for it to draft its own report, but the definitive authorisation never arrived.

The same Jordi Jané, shortly before being replaced by Forn in July 2017, had already requested that the Security Board authorise the purchase of weapons.

A "most urgent" matter for Forn

A few weeks after the 17 August 2017 terrorist attacks and 2 weeks before 1-O, Forn sent a letter to Zoido to swiften the purchase, because he felt it was "most urgent" that the weapons be made available:

"It is obvious that, if the 1,000 long-barrelled weapons we need to ensure and improve security are not delivered, it would logically be detrimental to the security of the country."

Joaquim Forn on 14 September 2017, when he was minister of the Interior

The Guardia Civil then said that the Ministry of Defence had still not given its approval, but the Catalan government insisted that this procedure was not necessary.

When asked this question, minister Zoido said that he was not aware of it:

"I do not have this information at hand at the moment, and I regret not being able to provide you an answer right now."

Juan Ignacio Zoido, on 14 September 2017, when he was minister of the Interior

With regard to the then-delegate of the central government in Catalonia, Enric Millo, he described the problem as a normal "administrative procedure":

"I will not allow for issues related to security being used politically. Everything follows its course, there are no issues, there are no difficulties, and that is all."

Enric Millo on 14 September 2017, when he was the delegate of the Spanish government in Catalonia

Approved during the application of article 155

According to sources of the Ministry of the Interior, the Catalan police already had long-barrelled weapons such as the ones that were not authorised, and they were also requested to equip specialised groups such as the Mobile Brigade, also known as the Brimo.

These sources add that the authorisation finally arrived in December 2017, during the application of article 155, when the Catalan government was under the direct control of the Spanish government.

The sources state that the 5 million cartridges were then sent, and that the weapons started to arrive shortly after.