Joan Ignasi Elena denies that the National Pact for the Referendum received public funds

The former coordinator and spokesman for the National Pact for the Referendum, Joan Ignasi Elena, stated on Wednesday in the Catalan independence trial that said entity did not receive any public funds.

Elena, who was requested as a witness by Vox and by the defence counsel of Jordi Cuixart, described the genesis of the Pact and the role he played in it.

He did not receive any public funds to "guarantee independence"

When questioned by Vox attorney Juan Cremades, he denied having negotiated the contracting of the website of the Pact with a person in the Generalitat.

He also explained that the management of digital tools was carried out by a technical commission made up from Òmnium, Ciemen and the NGO Federation, which was charged with providing the Pact with administrative suport.

Elena stated that he and seven other coordinators participated in it as volunteers, without compensation, and that he "made sure" that the entire organisation was made up from volunteers without public funding:
 

Cremades: "Are you aware of the National Pact for the Referendum receiving any public contributions?"

Elena: "No, it did not receive any, precisely in order to guarantee its independence and in order not to give rise to any suspicions among the various political options; I made sure that the entire organisation, all management and funding came from private entities and contributions from citizens."

Elena took advantage of the questioning to explain that the Pact emerged from a debate in the Parliament of Catalonia, that over 4,000 entities were a part of it, and that its goal was to have the Catalan and Spanish governments negotiate a referendum for self-determination in Catalonia.
 

It is "not essential" that the Bar Association deemed it legal to carry out a referendum

When questioned by Marina Roig, from the defence counsel of Jordi Cuixart, the witness explained that they travelled to the Spanish Parliament to talk to all parties, and that only the PP and Ciutadans refused to meet them.

He also stated that the manifesto of the Pact received over 500,000 supporters and that the Bar Association of Barcelona made another one that defended the legality of a referendum in Catalonia.

At this point the presiding magistrate of the court, Manuel Marchena, interrupted the witness, stating that what he was saying was "not essential" in the context of the trial.
 

 

Related interactive resource: The keys of the Catalan independence trial

 

"I would say it is not I who is being judged here"

Another outstanding witness on Wednesday morning was Mossos d'Esquadra officer Albert Donaire, the coordinator of the ANC's sector organisation Mossos per la República.

Donaire, who bears Mossos identification number 17.130, wanted his name to be made public, but his image was not displayed during the statement.

This witness began by replying in Catalan to questions both from Marchena and from Vox, the party to the prosecution that had requested his statement but, when they did not understand them, he switched to Spanish.
 

Javier Ortega, the secretary-general of Vox, interrogating Albert Donaire on Wednesday, under the gaze of Juan Cremades

Vox secretary-general Javier Ortega, who replaced Cremades in this questioning, asked him about some tweets he allegedly published in September 2017 defending the referendum.

Donaire hesitated to answer the question and Marchena called him to order:
 

Donaire: "I would say that I am not the one being judged here."

Ortega: "No, I am asking you a question, I am not..."

Marchena (to the witness): "Let's be clear about your situation: you have been summoned as a witness. In consequence, you must answer the questions made by the parties to the prosecution and to the defence that the court deems to be appropriate. You are an officer of the law and you are now before the legal authority. In consequence, please act according to your professional status. But please, do tell the truth."

 

 

Under investigation from the Internal Affairs department of the Mossos

At this moment the witness answered the questions that were asked normally and in Spanish: he explained that he never personally met Jordi Sànchez and that, on 1-O, he was sent to Ribes de Freser.

When questioned by Xavier Melero, the defence counsel of Joaquim Forn, Donaire said that Mossos per la República does not have any trade union activity or representativeness within the Mossos and he admitted that he was under investigation from the Internal Affairs department of the corps for his public statements.

A few weeks ago, this witness denounced that he had received threats and homophobic messages in his home that were directly related to the call to give statement in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.