The judge investigating the Tsunami case from the Supreme Court, Susana Polo, has offered to testify by videoconference to Carles Puigdemont and Rubén Wagensberg. The judge has informed the two accused of terrorism that they will be able to do so by telematic methods between June 17 and 21, a month after the Catalan elections. Therefore, without the need to open an international search and capture process in case they did not want to do it in person.
Carles Puigdemont currently resides in Brussels, where he works as an MEP, while Rubén Wagensberg (ERC) settled in Switzerland a few months ago after learning that he was being investigated for possible terrorism in the context of the Tsunami case. Judge Polo explains to the two that they can testify by videoconference and that they have to come “accompanied by a lawyer.” She also launches a rogatory commission to find out where they live and to be able to organize it.
The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court decided to follow the criteria of Judge Manuel García Castellón and entrusted one of its members, Susana Polo, with the opening of terrorism proceedings against former president Carles Puigdemont and the Catalan deputy Rubén Wagensberg. According to the judges, contrary to the opinion of the lieutenant prosecutor, the massive Tsunami Democràtic protests, especially those that paralyzed the El Prat airport for hours, could be framed in a crime of terrorism.
Also, according to the judges who accepted the reasoned statement from the National Court, it was feasible to consider that Carles Puigdemont was one of the shadow leaders of the movement that was born to protest against the procés ruling. He had, according to that admissions room, “absolute leadership” and the priority of the judicial case should be to take his statement.
The declaration of both as accused is, for now, the only procedure that Judge Susana Polo has launched after taking on the case sent from the National Court by Judge Manuel García Castellón. The Criminal Chamber itself that made the decision to admit the case to processing already left in writing that, in its opinion, taking statements from Puigdemont and Wagensberg was practically the only thing left to do.
