DEPUTY regional president of Catalunya Oriol Junqueras and eight ministers have been remanded in custody – all bar one without bail – charged with rebellion and sedition for their involvement in the disputed independence referendum on October 1.
National Court judge Carmen Lamela has opted to put them behind bars as she considers them a flight risk and believes they may attempt to destroy evidence.
Junqueras and seven ministers appeared in court yesterday (Thursday) charged with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, for having used taxpayers' cash to finance the referendum.
As well as Junqueras, the former ministers for land and housing (Josep Rull), interior (Joaquim Forn), employment (Dolors Bassa), justice (Carles Mundó), presidential affairs (Jordi Turull), international affairs (Raül Romeva), governing (Meritxell Borràs) and business (Santiago Vila) are now in jail.
Only Santiago Vila has been granted bail, to the tune of €50,000.
Sra Lamela has adhered strictly to the prosecution's recommendations, stating that the offences they are considered to have committed are 'very serious'.
Their defence insists Junqueras and the ministers are 'totally against violence' and 'have not perpetrated any violent actions', but Judge Lamela said the defence was 'forgetting that they were behind a movement' which the regional government 'consented to and supported' and that led to 'activities where organised tumultuous gatherings took place'.
She considers that if the ministers had not been 'egging on' the public, the independence movement would not have had any 'impulsion'.
Concerning their being a possible flight risk, Judge Lamela highlighted the ministers' 'personal wealth' which would 'allow them to leave Spain easily' in the same way as 'other individuals charged have done so'.
Here, Lamela was referring to now-ex regional president Carles Puigdemont and four of his ministers, Clara Ponsatí, Antoni Comín, Meritxell Serret and Lluís Puig, all of whom are currently in Belgium.
Puigdemont has spoken to reporters in the northern European country and said he is not planning to return for the trial, and condemned his former ministers' and deputy president's imprisonment.
Other parties at national and regional level have also slammed the judge's decision, saying it 'sounds like revenge' rather than a matter of 'national security'.
Photograph (L-R, top row): Former deputy regional president Oriol Junqueras; minister for land and housing Josep Rull; interior minister Joaquim Forn; minister for employment Dolors Bassa; minister for justice Carles Mundó. L-R, second row: minister for presidential affairs Jordi Turull; international affairs minister Raül Romeva; minister for governing Meritxell Borràs, and minister for business Santi Vila
