The party of the former head of the Catalan government Carles Puigdemona must refund funds received illegally. Under the decision of the Provincial Court of Barcelona, ??announced on Monday, January 15, the Democratic European Catalan Party (DECP) illegally received from the construction company Ferrovial at least 6.6 million euros. The court concluded that the money was transferred to the account of the party as a kind of bribe - payment for "guaranteed provision of a certain number of orders".

In the framework of the corruption scheme, Ferrovial made donations to the Palais de Catalan music, after which the management of the institution transferred part of the money to the accounts of the DECP. The scheme operated from 1999 to 2009, when an illegal relationship between the party, at that time called the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia, and the construction company were discovered.

The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia, ruling for many years in the region, denied receiving "kickbacks". To improve its reputation, the party was renamed in 2016 in the Democratic European Catalan Party. Now the DECP needs to reimburse the funds in favor of the state.

At the same time, the Government of Spain warns Carles Puigdemon against attempts to control Catalonia from Belgium, where the politician is together with four of his supporters. Otherwise, Madrid will have to take direct control of the region, said on 15 January, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. According to him, Puicdemont should "physically" become the head of the Catalan government.

Supporters of independence from Spain won the extraordinary parliamentary elections in Catalonia, held on December 21. Despite the fact that the first place was taken by the Liberal Party "Citizens - Civic Party" (Ciudadanos), which advocates European integration, an absolute majority in the parliament was represented by three parties of the separatists. On 10 January, it became known that Puchdemon would try again to assume the post of head of the Catalan administration.

At the end of October, Madrid suspended the Catalan administration and dissolved the regional parliament. The court instituted criminal proceedings for attempting a riot against a number of Catalan politicians and senior officials. Puchdemon and several of his associates surrendered to the Belgian police in Brussels. Later, the Supreme Court of Spain withdrew an international warrant for their arrest, which, however, was not annulled in Spain itself.

Source: DW.