The Supreme Court of Justice (TSJC) requests a pardon for Borràs and suspends his sentence pending the Spanish government's decision.

BarcelonaThe High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) has formalized the request for a partial pardon for Laura Borràs, sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for prevarication and document falsification, and has suspended her sentence pending the Spanish government's decision on the pardon. The civil and criminal division of the court, which in his sentence for the splitting of contracts The former Speaker of Parliament and former leader of Junts, who had already proposed a pardon, has submitted the request to the Ministry of Justice. asked the TSJC to take the step –although he had initially said he would not do so– after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction on February 10 and rejected the amnesty. And this week The Prosecutor's Office had already endorsed that for the moment he does not have to go to prison. "In order to avoid possible harm to the convicted person in the event of a favorable resolution to the pardon request, I do not oppose the suspension of the sentence," the public prosecutor's office ruled.

The pardon, which would annul Borràs's prison sentence (not the 9-year disqualification or the 36,000 euro fine), is now in the hands of Pedro Sánchez's government. The Ministry of Justice, headed by Félix Bolaños, will be in charge of processing the request and making the formal proposal to the Council of Ministers to grant or deny the pardon, which will have the final say.

When Borràs was sentenced two years ago, Bolaños was blunt in her assessment: if she were from the PSOE, "she would have been expelled years ago," she said. This Friday, once the TSJC's request was known, he was more cautious: "I cannot comment at this time on the meaning of the pardon because we must study and analyze all the documentation," he said, recalling that the ministry must request reports from the court and the Prosecutor's Office, among others, before making a decision.

The one who had recently spoken out about the possibility of pardoning Borràs is the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, who in February refused to grant clemency in cases related to corruptionWhile we await further reactions, we will also have to see how Junts, on whom Pedro Sánchez depends to carry out the legislature, will position itself and what role it will play from now on.

Suspension for the other convicts

The TSJC's ruling, issued this Thursday, also includes the suspension of the prison sentences for the other two convicted in the ILC case, businessmen Isaías Herrero and Andreu Pujol. For the former, sentenced to two years, the suspension is for a period of four years and "on the condition that he commit no new crimes" and that he "perform 146 days of community service." As for Pujol, the sentence of one year and two months in prison is suspended for three years.

The court will require the three convicted men in a hearing on April 4 to "refrain from carrying out the activities, occupations, or positions for which they have been disqualified" and to "pay the fines imposed." In Borràs's case, this means that he will not be able to exercise any activity, occupation, or public office, and probably will not be able to preside over the Junts foundation, as planned. One Government report of the end of 2024 He warned that those disqualified for crimes against property, against the socio-economic order or for forgery cannot be patrons of a foundation.