Mas to appear before the Parliament over CDC illegal funding

Barcelona (CNA).- Artur Mas, former Catalan President and former leader of CDC, now renamed as the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), will have to give explanations in the Parliament over the corruption scandal surrounding CDC. Indeed, Mas was head of CDC at the time when the illegal funding through ‘Palau de la Música’ took place. His appearance before the Catalan chamber has been requested by all the parties in the Parliament, except from governing cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’. Pro-independence radical left CUP consider it “a fiction” to separate CDC from PDeCat and the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) have called for Mas to quit his political career if the accusations over CDC irregular funding prove to be true.

The petition will be passed, since the groups which requested it have a majority on the Institutional Affairs Committee, the body which handles these applications. Despite not signing it, ‘Junts Pel Sí’ has confirmed that they will support the petition once it is put to vote in the Committee. According to the governing party, they didn’t want to sign the petition “alongside all these groups which can’t wait more than 12 hours to call for Mas’ appearance but don’t facilitate Spanish President, Mariano Rajoy, to do the same”, speaking in relation to the corruption scandals Spanish governing party PP is also involved in.

Mas has already confirmed to ‘Junts Pel Sí’ his willingness to give detailed explanations before the Committee.

In February last year, Mas already appeared before the Parliament over the ‘Palau Case’ and said that he is “absolutely sure that there is no proof of any CDC irregular funding”. “It is my belief and I reaffirm my view on this matter”, he said back then. “I know the people who were in charge of the party’s finances and they are totally honest to me; hopefully many other will be like them”, he added.