For Josep María Jové and Lluís Salvadó, the reform of the crime of embezzlement has not benefited them either. The Catalan Prosecutor's Office accuses the former number two of the Economy and the former Secretary of the Treasury (both under the umbrella of the ministry headed by Oriol Junqueras) of a crime of aggravated embezzlement and requests for them seven years in prison and six and a half years respectively for their action in the preparations for October 1 and State structures.
The crimes attributed to them are disobedience, prevarication and aggravated embezzlement. In addition, he claims for Jové a disqualification sentence of 32 years and a fine of 30,000 euros; and 27 and a half years of disqualification for Salvadó. The Prosecutor's Office demanded that the TSJC extend the term to present the indictment against Jové and Salvadó after the changes introduced for the crime of embezzlement.
In its brief, presented this Friday before the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), the public ministry follows the criteria of the Supreme Court, which in the review of the sentence of the "procés" rules out that the expenses of 1-O fit into the crime of attenuated embezzlement. The non-application of the assumptions to reduce the embezzlement penalty seriously compromises the future of another 39 high-ranking officials of the Generalitat who are being investigated in court 13 and who could be accused, given the precedent of Jové and Salvadó, of aggravated embezzlement .
According to the indictment, Jové, in his double capacity as executive coordinator of the referendum, in a formal capacity, since July 2017, as head of the area of "electoral processes and popular consultations", as well as in an official capacity for holding the position of Secretary General of the Department of Economy, the highest person in charge, only below Minister Junqueras, had direct participation in the illegal commitment of public funds".
In addition, the prosecution attributes to Jové having appropriated the personal data of all Catalans for the creation of the vote census for the referendum. The former number two of Economy signed an agreement with IDESCAT (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya, to access the Population Registries and Catalans abroad in order to create a reserved personal data base to be used illegally as a census in the planned self-determination referendum".
But Jové and Salvadó were not only in charge, according to the prosecutor, of organizing the referendum but also preparing the day after. "They made the executive decision to put into practice the programmed "state structures" and, in parallel, to obtain sufficient financing for when Catalonia achieved independence," the letter underlines. To achieve this objective, as well as to forge future complicity with the independence project, various presentations were made to other States and organizations, from which at the time it was intended to obtain economic resources, "he points out.
Josep Maria Jové, upon learning of the accusation he is facing, has reacted by vindicating the organization of the referendum on October 1st.
The President of the Generalitat has also reacted harshly against the report from the Public Prosecutor's Office: "the judicial system does not impart justice, but revenge against the independence movement", and recalled that "working for the freedom of Catalonia and defending the ballot box and democracy does not it's a crime."
Josep Maria Jové is president of the republican parliamentary group in Parliament and is one of the members of the dialogue table with the Government. He also participated in the negotiations with Junts for the investiture of Aragonès. Likewise, it is attributed a fundamental role in the organization and financing of the referendum on October 1 and in the design and creation of the structures of the future Catalan state. In the search that was carried out in his house, the Civil Guard found the famous Moleskine notebook that contained the road map towards independence, as well as the Enfocats document, a powerpoint that summarized the phases of the disconnection. Both Jové and Salvadó turned to the electoral commitment to declare independence in 18 months.
Days before the referendum, Salvadó warned that they would not arrive on time because the State structures would not be prepared. "It's not just a change of flag," he said in several conversations intercepted by the Civil Guard. Now, just because they weren't ready didn't mean they hadn't done anything. They had drawn up 152 draft bills and decrees that had to be approved as of October 2 and that dealt with their own treasury, social protection agency, judicial power, telecommunication control, and basic infrastructure.
For the Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, who was director of services at the Department of Economy, the prosecution accuses her of disobedience, which does not carry a prison sentence, but a year of disqualification and a fine of 18,000 euros.
