Spain’s top criminal court has removed former Catalan president Jordi Pujol from the high-profile corruption trial against him and his family, citing the 95-year-old’s deteriorating health.
Judges at the Audiencia Nacional ruled on Monday that Pujol is no longer fit to stand trial or testify after reviewing new medical reports and briefly speaking with him ahead of his scheduled court appearance. Doctors had earlier concluded he was not in a suitable physical or mental condition to participate in proceedings.
‘It is impossible for Mr Jordi Pujol Soley to continue in this trial with full consciousness and abilities, therefore it is decided that from this moment … he is left out of the proceedings,’ the court’s president said.
The decision exempts Pujol from the case entirely, although proceedings will continue against his seven children and a number of business associates.
Long-running corruption case
The trial centres on the origin of the Pujol family’s wealth and allegations of criminal association, money laundering, tax evasion, document forgery and asset stripping.
Prosecutors had been seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Pujol, while his children face potential sentences ranging from eight to 29 years if convicted.
The case stems from a bombshell admission made by Pujol on 25 July 2014, when he revealed that his family had held undeclared funds abroad for more than three decades, including around €4 million in Andorra.
He said the money came from an inheritance left by his father, Florenci Pujol, and denied it was linked to illegal commissions or kickbacks during his time in office.
In a statement at the time, Pujol asked for ‘forgiveness’, saying, ‘With deep sorrow’ he was ‘the only one responsible.’
He maintained that the funds had been intended as a financial safeguard for his wife, Marta Ferrusola, and their seven children in case his political career failed.
However, investigators — including Spain’s National Police — have argued that not all the money can be explained by inheritance, suggesting instead it may have derived from unlawful payments made by business figures in exchange for public contracts.
Pujol’s defence has consistently rejected those claims, insisting he never used his position to enrich his family and calling for the acquittal of all defendants.
Trial continues without Pujol
Despite his removal, the trial continues for his children — Jordi, Josep, Oriol, Marta, Mireia, Pere and Oleguer — as well as several other individuals, including businesspeople and associates such as Mercè Gironès, the former wife of his eldest son.
More than 250 witnesses are expected to testify across over 40 court sessions, including politicians, law enforcement officials, business figures and former Andorran bank managers.
The proceedings, being held at the National Court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid, began in November and are expected to run until May 2026, with a verdict likely in 2027 following possible appeals. ALSO READ: Catalonia’s former political giant Jordi Pujol, 95, goes on trial for alleged corruption.
Pujol had initially been allowed to follow proceedings via videoconference due to health concerns, but his legal team had repeatedly argued he should not stand trial at all.
Fall of a political titan
Pujol emerged as a central figure in Spain’s democratic transition after 1975, following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
As leader of Catalonia from 1980 to 2003, heading the Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) party – later becoming the now-defunct Convergència i Unió (a coalition of CDC and Democratic Union of Catalonia) – he played a key role in supporting minority governments in Madrid in exchange for expanded regional powers in areas such as healthcare, education and policing — earning him the nickname ‘Spain’s viceroy’.
A longtime advocate of Catalan nationalism, Pujol was once jailed by the Franco regime for his political beliefs, yet he consistently argued that Catalonia should remain part of Spain.
His 2014 confession, however, shocked Catalan society, damaging his legacy and prompting the removal of honours previously granted for his public service. It also triggered a series of legal actions and contributed to the dismantling and transformation of his political movement.
His wife was excused from the trial on health grounds and died in July 2024.
More than a decade after the scandal first broke, the case continues to cast a long shadow over one of modern Spain’s most prominent political careers — now set to be judged in court without the man who once dominated Catalan politics.
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La Audiencia Nacional exime a Jordi Pujol del proceso penal por su fortuna oculta en Andorra.#Canal24Horas
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