4,146,274.97 euros. About 3.5 million pounds or 4.6 million US dollars. That's how much Spain's Court of Accounts would fine Carles Puigdemont, Oriol Junqueras, and 26 other current and former senior Catalan government officials. First reported by RAC1 and confirmed by El Nacional, it follows an investigation into alleged misuse of public funds related to the 2017 independence referendum.
Today, legal representatives of the accused were notified in a hearing of the provisional decision; their clients will be required to post the money as a guarantee against a potential future fine. If they don't, they will have assets seized to cover whatever is missing.
Such a fine, for a slightly higher amount, was confirmed last summer for the organisers of the unofficial 2014 referendum. The total this time is more than double the amount found to have been misused by the Supreme Court in the trial last year.
The figure, however, is provisional, and will have to be confirmed at trial. Of the 4.1 million, €3.9 million are for the "harm caused to the public treasury" and €240,000 are a provisional evaluation of the interest accrued since the date in question.
The 28 people named by the court are: president Carles Puigdemont, vice-president Oriol Junqueras; former ministers Quim Forn, Jordi Turull, Raül Romeva, Josep Rull, Dolors Bassa, Toni Comín, Clara Ponsatí, Lluís Puig, Meritxell Serret, Carles Mundó, Meritxell Borràs and Santi Vila; as well as Neus Munté, Amadeu Altafaj, Josep Maria Jové, Josep Ginesta, Natàlia Garriga, Ignasi Genovès, Jaume Mestre, Antoni Molons, Joaquim Nin, Teresa Prohias, Albert Royo, Francesc Sutrías, Rosa Vidal and Aleix Villatoro.
The expenses in question
Among the main expenses challenged by the court are the referendum's website and application (171,357€), refurbishment of the Telecommunications & Information Technology Centre (1.4 million), the register of Catalans abroad (182,572€), postal costs (1.25 million), as well as the advertising campaign at home and abroad and the invitations to MEPs and international observers.