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Police arrest Catalan minister Josep Maria Jove
20 SEPTEMBER 2017
Junior economy minister held in morning raid and local government offices searched in run-up to contentious referendum.


Media say police arrested 12 people in crackdown on pro-independence officials [AP]
Spanish police have arrested the Catalan region's junior economy minister as part of a morning raid on several government offices in the run-up to an independence referendum, according to sources within the regional government.


Besides arresting Josep Maria Jove, police on Wednesday entered the local governmental offices of the economy, interior, foreign affairs, welfare, telecommunications and tax, the sources said.

Spain's Guardia Civil police on Wednesday searched several headquarters in Barcelona of Catalonia's regional government, a Catalan government spokesman said.



Al Jazeera's Karl Penhaul, reporting from Catalonia, said the police are looking for any evidence of wrongdoing, " and evidence of support by the regional government for the October 1 independence referendum, which the central government has dubbed undemocratic and illegal".

The operation comes amid mounting tensions as Catalan leaders press ahead with preparations for the independence referendum on October 1 despite Madrid's ban and a court ruling deeming it illegal.

Catalan leader accuses Spain of "totalitarian attitude" and ''unlawful" arrest of officials.

Police were searching the Catalan government's offices of economic affairs, foreign relations and the presidency, the spokesman said.

READ MORE: Spain - Is this the end of the Socialists?

The operation comes a day after police seized a trove of documents related to the October 1 referendum from the offices of private delivery company Unipost in the Catalan city of Terrasa.

Pro-separatist parties captured 47.6 percent of the vote in a September 2015 regional election in Catalonia viewed as a proxy vote on independence, giving them a narrow majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament.

Control of finances
Spanish authorities on Monday took control of Catalonia's finances to prevent funds being used for the independence referendum, a move that limits the region's autonomy and puts in doubt the payment of thousands of public workers' salaries.

Earlier, on Friday, the conservative government announced it would take over the payment of essential services and public workers' salaries in Catalonia to prevent it from spending money.

Catalonia's pro-separatist government challenged the measure in Spain's Supreme Court but a court spokeswoman told AFP it was "in force" and would not be suspended while judges rule on its legality.

READ MORE: The case against Catalan secession

Spain's regions pay taxes to the central government and are then given a quota to spend on health care, education and public infrastructure.

Catalonia, which is roughly the size of Belgium and home to around 7.5 million people, receives about 1.5bn euros ($1.8bn) a month from Madrid to cover essential services.

About a quarter of Catalonia's revenues comes directly from certain taxes which it collects itself as well as from university tuition fees.

READ MORE: Defiant Catalan mayors back independence referendum

To prevent the Catalan government from using this money, the Spanish government has asked banks to control all movements in the accounts and credit cards managed by Catalan leaders.

Opinion polls show Catalonia's roughly 7.5 million residents are divided on independence.

A survey commissioned by the regional government in July showed 49.4 percent of Catalans were against independence while 41.1 percent were in favour.

Over 70 percent of Catalans want a legal referendum on independence to settle the issue


http://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2017/09/police-arrest-catalan-government-official-170920080646232.html

Everybody dey vex oo

Learning frm baba

Looking for evidence to arraign him?
You mean no 'Operation tolo-tolo twerk' and kill any killable.

But Spain is setting a bad precedent,esp in Africa where people love to always give credence to the bad done abroad,and shy away from the methods of successes there.

Now,I can see the our FG's role model.

See, they're always giving us examples with Catalonia!

Shebi some IPOBs were saying something about Spain and Catalonia... Just negodu now...

Oya continue the example biko. Now that Spain has arrested the Catalan Minister, maybe Buhari should arrest the Kanu family and Gov. Ikpeazu.

No President will allow somebody threaten his political tenure. Politics will always be politics.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a Yoruba man, crazy and strong-willed. He lost his mother to the military era and he never stopped tackling the political incorrectness in Nigeria. Despite his efforts he couldn't do much. Some Igbos will now start calling Yorubas cowards when their own heroes are known to be world class runners from Ojukwu to Nnamdi Kanu, they will outrun Usain Bolt anytime there's trouble... I laugh in Spanish.

Yoruba leaders are now the ones fighting the FG in favour of the Igbos. . . See una life.

Either ways, I'm in support of a referendum. Let us pursue our agitations with common sense, not with hate speeches... Merci beaucoup!

fergie001:
Looking for evidence to arraign him?
You mean no 'Operation tolo-tolo twerk' and kill any killable.

But Spain is setting a bad precedent,esp in Africa where people love to always give credence to the bad done abroad,and shy away from the methods of successes there.

Now,I can see the our FG's role model.

In this case Africa maybe setting the precedent - doing the right thing - while Spain dem are copying.

MalcoImX:
In this case Africa maybe setting the precedent - doing the right thing - while Spain dem are copying.

By killing at will?
Or firing in NK's house?
I do not discuss with people who already earn a living on d matter

masterpolyglot:
Shebi some IPOBs were saying something about Spain and Catalonia... Just negodu now...

Oya continue the example biko. Now that Spain has arrested the Catalan Minister, maybe Buhari should arrest the Kanu family and Gov. Ikpeazu.

No President will allow somebody threaten his political tenure. Politics will always be politics.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a Yoruba man, crazy and strong-willed. He lost his mother to the military era and he never stopped tackling the political incorrectness in Nigeria. Despite his efforts he couldn't do much. Some Igbos will now start calling Yorubas cowards when their own heroes are known to be world class runners from Ojukwu to Nnamdi Kanu, they will outrun Usain Bolt anytime there's trouble... I laugh in Spanish.

Yoruba leaders are now the ones fighting the FG in favour of the Igbos. . . See una life.

Either ways, I'm in support of a referendum. Let us pursue our agitations with common sense, not with hate speeches... Merci beaucoup!

First and foremost pro-separatist won the votes, unlike in the Nigger Area the likes of Ikpeazu and co are rigged in.

Second, people in Government from the Catalan region are working for their people's interest, unlike the SE/SS governors (most of whom have names that have meanings in the same language of Nnamdi Kanu's) who are disowning and allowing their people to be killed

Third, if there is a court order to release this Jr Minister, would it be ignored by coupist Nigger President who wants to dictate like he is in 1983.

SO please...

TheKingdom:
First and foremost pro-separatist won the votes, unlike in the Nigger Area the likes of Ikpeazu and co are rigged in.

Second, people in Government from the Catalan region are working for their people's interest, unlike the SE/SS governors (most of whom have names that have meanings in the same language of Nnamdi Kanu's) who are disowning and allowing their people to be killed

Third, if there is a court order to release this Jr Minister, would it be ignored by coupist Nigger President who wants to dictate like he is in 1983.

SO please...

Please don't refer to Nigeria as nigger area. Some of us are patriotic despite the politics in the country. You are entitled to your own opinion, but you don't have to insult the country to prove your point. Good day.

TheKingdom:
First and foremost pro-separatist won the votes, unlike in the Nigger Area the likes of Ikpeazu and co are rigged in.

Second, people in Government from the Catalan region are working for their people's interest, unlike the SE/SS governors (most of whom have names that have meanings in the same language of Nnamdi Kanu's) who are disowning and allowing their people to be killed

Third, if there is a court order to release this Jr Minister, would it be ignored by coupist Nigger President who wants to dictate like he is in 1983.

SO please...

What do you mean by nigger area? You are an irredeemable foooool

Hmm for sure no government would allowed any force to distabilize it country.

But the issue of referendum should be set aside.

This is what NNAMDI KANU is asking for.

Spain has a very long history of suppressing Catalonian secessionist agitations. Go back to the days of right-wing dictator, Francisco Franco to see how he violently suppressed the Catalonian nationalism in the late 1930s then you will know that the current government in Spain is doing nothing new.

Spain has a very long history of suppressing Catalonian secessionist agitations. Go back to the days of right-wing dictator, Francisco Franco to see how he violently suppressed the Catalonian nationalism in the late 1930s then you will know that the current government in Spain is doing nothing new..

wahles:
Everybody dey vex oo

Learning frm baba

Learning from who? Spain has been suppressing Catalonian nationalism since the 1930s and maybe even before then. Have you ever wondered why and how Catalonia remains a part of Spain despite declaring independence twice in the 30s?