Former officer denies Puigdemont police escort acted for interior department in trial of former minister

The trial of Catalonia's former interior minister, Miquel Buch, got underway on Wednesday.

The former head of the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police force, assured that there is practically no evidence to suggest the agent that accompanied former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont in Belgium worked as an advisor for the interior ministry.

Intendant Toni Rodríguez has stated that Lluís Escolà helped Puigdemont to flee to Belgium and then combined work leaves, permissions, and holiday days so as to not have to return to act as a police officer again.

In July 2018, he was appointed advisor in security systems, something for which, according to Rodríguez's statements, he had no training.

In addition, until March 2019 he often traveled with Puigdemont, and the reports he made as an adviser were of low quality, according to him.

Charges

Prosecutors are calling for the pro-independence politician to be given a six-year prison sentence as well as 25 years disqualification from holding public office. 

He is accused of hiring a police officer to be the security guard of Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan president exiled in Belgium, when he left Catalonia after the peak of the independence crisis.

As the politician who once oversaw Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra police force, Buch is accused of fraudulently employing the agent Carles Escolà as an adviser when in reality he was serving as Puigdemont’s bodyguard abroad. 

Prosecutors also requested 4.5 years in prison for Escolà and the return of the €52,712 allegedly paid for his services.

The trial will have five sessions. Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is expected to give statements by video call on Friday.

On Wednesday and Thursday, several police agents are expected to testify.

Among those who will give testimony will be Andreu Joan Martínez, general director of the Mossos police at the time of the events, Brauli Duart, secretary general of the interior ministry at the time, Miquel Buch's chief of staff, and the then-director general of public function, Pilar Sorribas, and businessman Josep Maria Matamala

After this week's sessions, the trial will break until July 13 when the two defendants will testify and the prosecution will make its final report. The next day the trial will end.