Esquerra Republicana and the partners of the central government, PSOE and Unidas Podemos, will confront today proposals in the Congress of Deputies, in the Justice commission, to modify the crime of embezzlement in the framework of the reform of the Penal Code, which also includes the repeal of sedition and changes in the crime of public disorder and other precepts. Socialists and purples will take to the Lower House, as La Vanguardia advanced yesterday, a counterproposal that in the opinion of the Republicans is not enough, since it will have maximum penalties of four years for the diversion of funds within the administration itself, even if there is no personal or third party profit.
Oriol Junqueras pointed out yesterday in an interview on Catalunya Ràdio that it would not seem fair to him that the leaders who now reside abroad have to face sentences of four years in jail. "The situation of the exiles is tremendously unfair," he lamented. Likewise, he warned that even if they do not achieve their purpose, it is not possible to penalize the organization of the 1-O referendum – with the consequent review of sentences for those already convicted and avoiding jail time for those who are still awaiting trial – they will continue by that way. "Where we arrive there will not be a full stop at all, it will be a comma or a full stop," said the president of Esquerra.
The Republicans registered their own proposal on Friday, similar to that of Junts, with the intention that the organization of 1-O not be considered a crime since there is no profit motive in the leaders of the process. The formula of both groups was to recover drafts of the Penal Code prior to the reform of the PP or very similar texts.
However, the ERC proposal, which was the result of conversations between the Republicans and the Government but did not have the seal of a definitive agreement, will be modified today in the Justice Commission, before seeing the final approval on Thursday in the full. It was a proposal of maximums, they assured in Esquerra.
Junqueras insisted that the formation he leads will do everything in its power to reduce the sentences, although he stressed that they must "be aware that there is always an interpretative framework on the part of at least part of the judiciary."
Junts, which registered its own package of measures, although in this case without dialogue with the partners of the central Executive, has vindicated these days its initial complaints about the reform announcements, which contrasted with the victorious tone of the Republicans. With the process of amendments, some of them related to the new definition of public disorder, they see their criticism and their attendance at the demonstration that the Catalan National Assembly called last Tuesday more than justified.
In addition, yesterday the general secretary of the formation, Jordi Turull, in an act in Granollers together with the leaders of the party in Madrid, lamented that the embezzlement reform seeks to "make up and whiten the repression of the independence movement."
The leader of JxCat considers that the counteroffer from PSOE and UP "is still missing more than the reform that the PP made precisely to persecute the independence movement" in 2015. "Is it wasting money to do what you have committed to with the citizens who have voted for you ?” Turull questioned.
