The Councillor for Security and Emergencies at Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, Gladis de León, has enacted a decree to temporarily relieve the head of the Protection Group, Santiago Carlos Martín, of his responsibilities until his legal situation is clarified.
The leader of the Civil Protection Volunteer Group in the capital of Tenerife was detained on Wednesday by National Police officers, as confirmed by police sources to EFE. The judicial authority has imposed confidentiality on the case, preventing the consulted sources from disclosing the specific allegations that led to Santiago Carlos Martín’s arrest.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council announced that in the absence of Santiago Carlos Martín, the current deputy chief will take over the group’s responsibilities, as outlined in the regulations governing its operation since January of this year.
The Security councillor further supports this decision by noting the formal unawareness that exists “at this time” within the council regarding Martín’s arrest.
De León has conveyed her “utmost institutional respect” for both the presumption of innocence pertaining to the detainee and the judicial confidentiality that surrounds these proceedings.
Conversely, the City Council has stated that it is available to the judicial authority for any inquiries that may be needed “to clarify this entire matter.”
Santiago Carlos Martín was appointed head of the Civil Protection Group in 2017 after previously serving as the resource manager at the Emergency and Security Coordinating Centre (Cecoes) of the Canary Islands Government.
In September 2019, he was removed from his position at the Civil Protection Headquarters following a complaint lodged by several young individuals regarding alleged inappropriate comments and physical contact of a sexual nature, which was later dismissed.
Following the return of CC and PP to the governing coalition in the City Council of Tenerife, he was reinstated as head of Civil Protection for the municipality.