Attorney General says asking prison for Puigdemont is on the table

The Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, can be arrested, the Spanish attorney general admitted today. José Manuel Maza said in a radio interview that the possibility of asking for a prison sentence against Puigdemont could soon be on the table. "Legally the conditions exist that would make it possible to ask for an arrest, particularly for the misuse of public funds, since a cautionary detention can take place if the crime in question carries prison time," Maza said.

Maza had already hinted that he would consider arresting Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, in order to stop the independence referendum in a recent interview with a Spanish newspaper. “I absolutely do not rule out asking for prison sentences,” Maza said then. The Catalan government has promised to carry out the vote despite suspension from the Spanish Constitutional Court. Puigdemont has admitted that he would "not like" being arrested but warned that not even that would stop his determination to hold the vote.

The Spanish attorney general said he is "absolutely convinced" that Puigdemont is "persisting in his disobedience." The Catalan president is being investigated for misuse of public funds, disobedience and perversion of justice for pushing ahead the October 1 independence referendum.

Police control

The attorney general also warned the Catalan police chief, Josep Lluís Trapero, of "legal consequences" if he does not obey the order to be coordinated from Madrid. On Saturday, the attorney general's office asked that the Catalan police be managed by the Spanish Ministry of Home Affairs, something that the Catalan government and the Catalan police adamantly oppose.

Attorney general Maza said the Catalan police, Mossos d'Esquadra, do not have "enough resources" to respond on October 1. According to him, police forces need to "coordinate" in case "there are ballot boxes" on Sunday. "The Mossos do not have enough resources to guarantee security and calm everywhere," he said.

The Spanish government has sent reinforcements to Catalonia, with three big cruise ships in the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona hosting thousands of officers. In recent days, Spain's Guardia Civil have arrested 15 high-ranking officials, confiscated millions of posters and ballots, and raided around 40 government buildings. On Monday, agents also searched local city hall buildings in Catalonia for documents related to the referendum.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, left-wing politicians from Podemos and Catalan parties such as Catalunya-En Comú, including the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, were surrounded by far-right extremists in Zaragoza, Spain. The Spanish police said they could not guarantee their security prompting complaints from Colau and others that they would have been able to do so if they did not have all their agents "looking for ballot boxes" in Catalonia.

The Catalan police chief is meeting the Spanish police chiefs and the home affairs ministry later on Monday, when he is expected to reject Madrid control. "I hope Major Trapero will be reasonable," said the Spanish Attorney General. Otherwise, he warned, he will face the "consequences".