Confusion in the Pujol trial: "I am a teacher and I have always worked in public schools"

MadridDuring the trial of the Pujol Ferrusola family, which has been underway at the National Court since November, more than 200 witnesses will have to testify. The court is working tirelessly to organize, summon, and make the most of the sessions. But it's proving to be no easy task. The difficulties in connecting with the witnesses—most are testifying remotely—and in locating them—a few days ago the court acknowledged that some thirty were in unknown locations—are adding another layer of complexity to the hearings, which are becoming somewhat chaotic. And this Thursday, in the sixteenth session, the blunder was summoning a witness who wasn't actually the one who was supposed to be questioned.

It was Eva Martín Moreno. "Yes, that's correct, it's me," she replied to the presiding judge, José Ricardo de Prada, when he asked her. And she reminded him that she had an "absolute and inexcusable" obligation to tell the truth. The misunderstanding became clear when prosecutor Fernando Bermejo began questioning him: "Did you work, or do you still work, in Mr. Carreté's office?" he asked. Joan Anton Sánchez Carreté is the Pujol family's tax advisorAnd then the mistake was revealed: "Oh my God. Look, from the very beginning of this process, I knew there was some error," she replied. "I'm a teacher and I've always worked in public schools, that's all," she explained.

The prosecutor actually wanted to question Eva María Moreno. The error stemmed from the prosecution's indictment, signed by Belén Suárez, which contained the teacher's name instead of the name of the person who worked with Joan Anton Sánchez Carreté. Once aware of the mistake, the prosecutor—understandably—decided not to ask any more questions. "Seriously, go ahead and question me," the defensive witness urged. And she emphasized that she had already pointed out the mistake: "I've always told the contact person in Madrid. 'Ah, you'll know,' she'd say. 'Well, I'll know,' I'd say." Finally, José Ricardo de Prada ended up apologizing as he said goodbye: "I don't know why they kept your summons when it was clear you had nothing to do with it, please forgive me in any case."