Jordi Pujol, former head of the Catalan Generalitat, will stand trial despite serious health issues. Spain’s National Court has ruled that the ex-president can attend hearings from home via videoconference. This decision comes after court doctors reported a significant decline in his cognitive abilities and recommended that he be excluded from the proceedings.
The trial involves not only Pujol himself, but also his children and another fifteen individuals. They are accused of hiding large sums of money abroad and receiving unlawful payments during the allocation of public contracts while Pujol was leading Catalonia. Despite his age and health condition, the judges deemed his presence necessary, albeit remotely.
Health Condition and Medical Assessments
Last week, Pujol was hospitalized in Barcelona with a mild case of pneumonia, but was quickly discharged. Shortly before this, experts from the Catalan Institute of Legal Medicine visited him to assess his ability to participate in the trial. Doctors confirmed that the former politician has a marked decline in memory, often confuses people and events, and suffers from serious hearing loss and limited mobility.
Doctors report that Pujol has been diagnosed with severe cognitive disorders, including signs of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular impairment. His level of functional dependence is so high that he cannot perform even basic daily activities on his own. After suffering from pneumonia, his overall health worsened further, and experts believe that participating in a lengthy trial would be extremely difficult for him.
The start of the trial and the court’s position
Despite the medical reports, the judges ruled that the trial should proceed with Pujol’s participation. At the beginning of the hearings, the presiding judge emphasized that if the former Catalan leader’s health condition changes, a separate decision will be made regarding his further participation. For now, he is required to attend the sessions, even if only remotely.
The judicial panel, which also includes two female judges, is examining the case against the entire Pujol Ferrusola family and a group of entrepreneurs. They are charged with forming a criminal organization, money laundering, document forgery, tax evasion, and concealing assets. Prosecutors are seeking nine years in prison for Pujol himself—five years for participation in a criminal group and four for financial fraud.
Financial operations and details of the charges
According to the case files, Pujol was the holder of a substantial deposit in a foreign bank, amounting to 307 million pesetas (approximately 1.8 million euros). The account was opened in 2000 and closed ten years later. Throughout this period, the only transactions were the placement of funds in deposits, with the exception of a single investment fund.
Although the tax violations related to this account are now legally considered time-barred, the court notes that in 2000, the amount of taxes Pujol failed to pay was nearly 886,000 euros. Nonetheless, the case is ongoing due to the scale of financial crimes involved, which affect not only the former politician but also his close associates.
Pujol’s age and health condition as a factor in the proceedings
At the start of the hearings, Jordi Pujol was 95 years old. In recent months, those close to him have repeatedly reported his extremely poor health, citing deteriorating memory and orientation. Nevertheless, the judges ruled that his participation was necessary to ensure a thorough examination of the case.
Should his condition worsen further, the court reserves the right to reconsider the format of Pujol’s participation. For now, the former leader of Catalonia will attend the hearings via video link, and the fate of this high-profile case will be decided in the coming weeks.
