Involved parties and organizations react to the ‘Palau case’ sentencing

Most Catalan parties reacted to the ‘Palau Case’ sentence by emphasizing that it was time that the sentence be released, more than 8 years after Catalan police raided the Palau de la Música concert hall for the first time in 2009. The Federation of neighborhood associations in Barcelona (FAVB), who acted as private prosecution in the judicial process, said it was “rather satisfied” with the judge’s decision.

There were many reactions to the outcome of the trial, but especially awaited were statements of former Catalan president Artur Mas. For years, he was also the leader of the Convergència party (CDC), sentenced to pay back €6.6 million, the sum it accepted from a firm in exchange for rigging public tenders to benefit the company. “Irregularities in the managing of public tender have never been demonstrated for the period when I was in charge of the Catalan administration, therefore, if there are no irregularities, there are no benefits,” said Mas. He assessed the sentence “very negatively” in statements to the Catalan News Agency.

"Sentences prove plundering," says private prosecution

A FAVB lawyer said that he was satisfied with the outcome of the trial. “The sentences prove their responsibility for the plundering of the cultural institution,” he pointed out. Indeed, the court found Millet and Montull guilty of taking €23 million from the institution. The lawyer also welcomed the fact that both heads of the Palau de la Música and the former treasurer of the Convergència party were convicted for “influence peddling.”