Spain's Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has criticized the Supreme Court for overstepping its bounds by not applying the Amnesty Law to the crime of embezzlement in the case of Carles Puigdemont.
Puente argues that the law should have conclusively ended judicial proceedings related to the Catalan independence movement, known as the 'procés'.
He believes the Supreme Court's interpretation, which suggests that independence leaders enriched themselves by saving money on illegal referendum campaigns, is unfounded.
Puente anticipates that the Constitutional Court will eventually correct this interpretation.
Meanwhile, the government is under pressure from the People's Party (PP) to retract Puente's statements, accusing him of undermining judicial authority.
Despite the controversy, Puente maintains that the responsibility for Puigdemont's recent public appearance and subsequent evasion lies with the Catalan government, not the Spanish state.
The ongoing debate highlights tensions between the Spanish government and judiciary over the handling of the 'procés' and the broader implications for Catalonia's political landscape.