Junqueras' team said secession 'not viable' a month before referendum

TAPPED telephone conversations have revealed the right-hand man of Catalunya's deputy president Oriol Junqueras (pictured) thought the region's independence was 'not viable' as much as two months before the disputed referendum, according to two leading Spanish broadsheets.

A team member of Junqueras', from the regional government's economy department, made this declaration on August 30 and a full transcript is included in the Guardia Civil's report as part of a Barcelona court's investigations into preparations for the illegal vote.

The then secretary for the treasury in Catalunya, Josep Lluís Salvadó – Junqueras' second in command – told economy and policy advisor Raúl Murcia that for the region to become independent, 'many necessary elements are still missing' such as its own bank and customs controls, making it 'completely inviable'.

Guardia Civil officers revealed – according to the daily newspapers El Mundo and El Periódico – that the two men spoke of 'Elsa so-and-so', whom they assume is PDeCAT leader Elsa Artadi and who was sent by regional president Carles Puigdemont to meet with Salvadó that same day.

Salvadó was due to explain to Puigdemont via Sra Artadi about how Catalunya's economic situation was placed at the time vis à vis a declaration of independence after the planned October 1 referendum, if the vote went in favour of secession.

The treasury leader was in a meeting with Junqueras at the time of the call, and apparently told Raúl Murcia that he was afraid PDeCAT would 'blame him' if independence could not be declared.

The two men agreed to torear Elsa Artadi – a bullfighting term – 'in the best possible way' in order to 'prepare a strategy' and 'see what explanations she gave'.

Salvadó is said to have held documents at his home, including notebooks, files and handwritten and typed papers, with heading such as 'Secession and joining the European Union' and 'Information concerning the creation of a Catalunya-based international tax office'.

Files covering a trip to Slovenia over January 9 and 10 this year, and a report on current land values for property tax calculation purposes at the time of its 'disconnection from Spain', were found, each one being around 20 pages of A4 stapled together.

These papers were seized on September 20 and Salvadó arrested – although later released – during a mass Guardia Civil operation that included raids on politicians' homes and public offices, and led to a huge protest outside the regional Parliament egged on by the separatist organisations, Òmnium and the Catalunya National Assembly (ANC), whose leaders Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez have been remanded in custody.