The president of the suspended Parliament, Laurà Borràs, considers that the Prosecutor's Office leaked the name of one of its judicial experts, the far-right and convicted of murder Emilio Hellín, to "divert attention" from the content of his report in the case for splitting contracts . In statements to TV3, the president of Junts has assured that the expert opinion "questions the authenticity" of the emails, one of the main evidence against her.
Borràs has explained that he found out about Hellín's hiring at the time he appeared in the media. He has also acknowledged that this is an "uncomfortable" situation, but has reiterated his trust in his lawyers, Gonzalo Boye and Isabel Elbal, who hired this expert witness because of his "professionalism".
"The Prosecutor's Office has known the names of the two experts for two years," highlighted the leader of Junts after a few days ago the public prosecutor requested that Hellín be removed from the case. Borràs believes that the expert is being questioned "in order not to address" the expert report, a report that reveals "surprises" and questions one of the most weighty arguments in the case: the emails. Borràs's defense has already presented this evidence and the president of the suspended Parliament considers that the controversy sought to withdraw the expert opinion, an assumption "that has not happened and will not happen".
The trial for the alleged splitting of contracts while he was in command of the Institució de les Lletres Catalanas will begin on February 10. Borràs is now awaiting the court's response to the request for the recusal of the president of the TSJC, Jesús María Barrientos. The trial of the Parliamentary Committee of 1-O will have to be repeated precisely because of the lack of impartiality of Barrientos and another magistrate. "It must be a coincidence that all the judges and prosecutors in my case are involved in other processes against independentistas," he criticized.
On the other hand, the political scenario continues to be marked by the reform of the Penal Code, which the Congress of Deputies took into consideration last Thursday. Laura Borràs has criticized that ERC has negotiated a reduction in sentences that, according to the president of Junts, "puts the entire movement into question to achieve personal and specific solutions." Likewise, she has denounced that, in her opinion, the intention of the reform is the extradition of Carles Puigdemont and the rest of the former government ministers, referring to statements made in recent days by ministers and members of the PSOE.
In line with what Junts has already stated, Borràs is committed to a definitive repeal of sedition without involving its substitution by another crime. He has also defended a "communal anti-repressive strategy."
Regarding the departure of Junts from the Government, Borràs believes that this decision reinforces "the honesty and coherence" of his party, which would be compromised -he said- by this type of ERC pact with the Government or by the fact that the Catalan executive has "taken independence off the agenda".
Internally, Borràs still does not comment too much on the case of Francesc de Dalmases, who was recently sanctioned by the Parliamentary Board. The leader of the formation is committed to not reopening an issue that "the Parliament and the party have already considered closed" and that was "instrumentalized". She has assured that she will continue to work with Dalmases, who is recovering from a heart condition, as she has explained.
Regarding the statements by the Minister of Feminismes, Tània Verge, in which she revealed that they had treated women affected by this case, Borràs has limited herself to responding that "we have no record". The president of Junts has also denied that she herself put pressure on Magda Oranich, who prepared Junts' internal report on Dalmases' intimidation of a TV3 FAQS journalist: "Demanding a commission in a timely manner is not pressure."
