Court of Auditors puts lien on property of former Catalan president

The Spanish Court of Auditors agreed to put a provisional lien on the property of Catalan officials who are being tried for organizing a non-binding independence vote on November 9, 2014 to cover a portion of the €5.2 million security deposit they have been required to post to cover the costs of the vote. The politicians, including former Catalan president Artur Mas, Francesc Homs, Irene Rigau and Joana Ortega, had offered their houses as a guarantee of a portion of the €5.2 million deposit, and had previously paid €2.8 million last October out of a solidarity fund created by pro-independence civil society organizations.

Since they could not pay entire deposit at once, they offered their properties as a guarantee. The Court of Auditors accepted putting a lien on their houses until the case is settled, but they will still be able to continue to use them.

The Spanish court in Catalonia found Mas, who appointed Carles Puigdemont as his successor following the 2015 election, and the others guilty of disobeying the Constitutional Court by letting the nonbinding vote on independence proceed. Mas was barred from holding public office for a two-year period and fined €36,500. The others received similar, but slightly lesser, sentences.