Who's who and what's being judged in the Pujol Ferrusola family trial?

MadridThis Monday it begins at the National Court the trial of the decade. Over the course of six months, the court will have to discern whether the money that the Pujol Ferrusola family had in Andorra came from the inheritance of grandfather Florenci, as the former Catalan president claims since his confession in July 2014, or whether it came from "illicit million-dollar payments" from businessmen in exchange for "political favors," as he adds.

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At ten o'clock in the morning, all eyes will be on the headquarters of the National Court in San Fernando de Henares and before the trial begins there will be a key moment for the proceedings: a closed-door videoconference to connect with the home of Jordi Pujol – who was discharged on Friday from pneumonia – with the aim of assessing his state of health. In situThe judges will have to decide whether to dismiss the case against him, based on medical reports indicating "moderate cognitive impairment." Following this, preliminary matters will be addressed, in which defense lawyers will argue that the National Court lacks jurisdiction to try the case and maintain that the trial should be held in Catalonia. Furthermore, some lawyers will denounce the illegally obtained evidence that may have been acquired during the investigation—as part of Operation Catalonia—while others will argue that the statute of limitations has expired, according to legal sources speaking to ARA.

What will be judged?

After a twelve-year investigation, José de la Mata—who replaced Pablo Ruz in the third year of the proceedings—concluded that the Pujol family took advantage of their privileged position of influence in Catalan political, social, and economic life to accumulate an exorbitant fortune directly linked to illicit gains. According to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Jordi Pujol wove a network of patronage in which he and associates within the Convergència party shared the substantial profits from public contracts awarded by Catalan government agencies. This allowed the former Catalan president to acquire wealth beyond his legal income, which he had to conceal from the Spanish tax authorities and Catalan society. The public prosecutor puts numbers to it: from 2008 to 2012, the accounts of the Pujol family went from 106,796 euros to 12.2 million.

Thus, the judge believes the family devised a "preconceived plan" to conceal "large sums of money of unknown origin" through a "classic" money laundering operation, led by the eldest son, Jordi Pujol Ferrusola, who deposited the "sums of money" into his accounts and distributed them among his other accounts. In fact, he points out that "all the mechanisms" typical of money laundering were present, such as the use of shell companies and front men, and the delivery of large amounts of cash.

What does the family claim?

In July 2014, Jordi Pujol was forced to release a statement explaining that his father, Florenci Pujol, had left him a bank account in Andorra because he foresaw an "uncertain future" in his political career, acknowledging that he had "never" found the "right moment" to declare it. In the defense brief, the former Catalan president's lawyer, Cristóbal Martell, reiterates this account and argues that the money was intended to "cushion future financial hardships" due to the "political risk" his son was assuming.

Pujol's defense team asserted that the fund had "no connection whatsoever" with "the high public office" he held: "He never deviated from his upright and dignified conduct. [...] There is not a single item in his children's estate that has any causal link to an abusive and illegitimate exercise of his authority," they emphasized. However, Judge José de la Mata rejected this version of events, stating that "no evidence has been presented" to "verify its accuracy" and that no one has offered any "reasonable and verifiable explanation."

In 2015, when appeared In the Catalan Parliament's investigative committee, Jordi Pujol Ferrusola asserted that he had "never" received commissions from "anyone who has worked with the public administration." He later claimed that there was "not even the slightest hint" of corruption during his father's presidency.

Who are the accused?

There are nineteen defendants. The most prominent name is that of Jordi Pujol i Soley, who was president of the Generalitat of Catalonia from 1980 to 2003. According to the judge, he held the "leadership" of the criminal organization. However, the one facing the harshest sentence is Jordi Pujol Ferrusola, his eldest son, who followed his father's "instructions" and had a "preeminent role" in assuming "the direction of the entire strategy," according to the investigating judge.

They will be accompanied by the other six children—or siblings—who "followed the instructions" of Jordi Pujol Jr. and benefited from the money "directly and knowingly." Also on trial will be Mercè Gironès, Jordi Pujol Ferrusola's ex-wife, and ten businesspeople, accused of aiding and abetting money laundering. The businesspeople will attempt to explain that the invoices they issued through Jordi Pujol Jr.'s companies were not in exchange for contracts, but rather for actual work performed.

What penalties do they face?

The prosecution and the State Attorney's Office are the plaintiffs. The maximum penalty that the public prosecutor requests The prosecution is seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Jordi Pujol Ferrusola (29 years old), followed by Mercè Gironès (17 years old) and Josep Pujol Ferrusola (14 years old). The prosecution is also requesting a nine-year prison sentence for former president Pujol. All members of the family are accused of illicit association—not organized crime, as the judge had initially argued—and money laundering. For the latter offense, the prosecution is requesting a fine of €38.7 million, as well as $8.1 million, 2.7 million German marks, and £95,000. Mercè Gironès and her sons Josep and Jordi are also accused of falsifying commercial documents and tax evasion. The latter two are also charged with obstruction of justice.

For its part, the State Attorney's Office is limiting its prosecution to alleged crimes that have "caused harm" to the public treasury and is only accusing the eldest son, for whom it is requesting a 25-year prison sentence, and Mercè Gironès, for whom it is requesting a 17.5-year sentence. It is demanding that they return 7.7 million euros allegedly defrauded. It is also requesting a four-year prison sentence for Josep Pujol Ferrusola. However, it is not accusing the former Catalan president or any of his other five children.

Who will judge them?

The presiding judge will be the progressive José Ricardo de Prada, who is credited with delivering the strongest statements in the Gürtel case verdict, which led to the vote of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy. A couple of years ago, PP senator José Antonio Monago he accused him of having perpetrated the "major case of lawfarefrom Spain. In 2018 he was proposed by the PSOE to be part of the CGPJ, a name that the PP initially accepted, but ended up vetoing.

The speaker will be María Fernanda García Pérez, who was instrumental in the ruling on the PP's slush fund, proving that José Luis Bárcenas maintained a parallel accounting system and that the renovation of the party headquarters on Génova Street was paid for with undeclared funds. She moved to Madrid after two decades in Jaén because she had a "desire for advancement."

The third member will be Ana Mercedes del Molino, also a progressive. She previously participated in the investigation of the Cesid wiretapping case and the Interior Ministry's secret funds, and recently served on the panel that tried the Madrid Arena tragedy, which resulted in a four-year prison sentence for the Halloween party's organizer.

Who will be the witnesses?

Throughout the trial, 255 witnesses will testify. The list includes Vicky Álvarez, Jordi Pujol Ferrusola's former partner, who initially reported the case. She was also the one who, in a conversation at La Camarga that was recorded by Método 3 and later leaked, admitted to Alícia Sánchez-Camacho—who will not have to testify—that the former president's son used to travel to Andorra with bags of money. The defense discredits her testimony because she allegedly received classified funds.

In addition, Ramon Espadaler—current Minister of Justice and Minister of the Environment under Pujol between 2001 and 2003—and Salvador Milà—of ICV-EUiA, who succeeded him in that role—will have to testify. Furthermore, Jordi Puig—a businessman and brother of Felip Puig, former Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Works under Pujol—and two executives from Banca Privada de Andorra will also be summoned.

What role has Operation Catalonia played?

Since the Pujol case broke, the shadow of suspicion surrounding José Manuel Villarejo, the use of the patriotic police, and the relationship with theOperation Catalonia They have hovered over the case. In fact, the retired Spanish police commissioner was the one who encouraged Vicky Álvarez to file a complaint against the eldest son. The role of Banca Privada de Andorra, which provides information on the Pujol family's accounts, is also under scrutiny.

Likewise, the former Deputy Director of Operations of the Spanish police, Eugenio Pino, He was convicted Jordi Pujol Ferrusola was charged with revealing secrets by handing over a USB drive containing information about his eldest son to the UDEF (Financial and Economic Crime Unit), the CNI (National Intelligence Center), and the National Court investigating the case, without disclosing its "illicit origin." The USB drive was excluded as evidence, preventing the case from being dismissed.

Twelve years after the case broke, the Pujol family will sit in the dock this Monday.