Millo warns Catalan school directors might face criminal charges if they aid in referendum

The Spanish government’s representative in Catalonia sends letter to directors

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BarcelonaEnric Millo, the Spanish government's representative in Catalonia, has sent a letter to all the directors of secondary schools in Catalonia warning them that if they authorize, "even tacitly", the holding of illegal events called by the Generalitat on October 1st, they could be prosecuted.

In the letter, the Spanish government warns that by "authorizing or allowing, by action or omission", their school to be used as a polling station, public employees could face charges of disobedience, neglect of duty, and misappropriation of public funds, "without ruling out further criminal action". The punishable actions include making the keys or school access codes available to "authorities or third parties".

In his letter, Millo writes that the "duty" of public powers is to obey the resolutions of the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC), which has suspended Catalonia’s Referendum Law and the calling of the independence vote slated for October 1st. Thus, he reminds the school directors of "the importance that schools" do not adopt any agreements or carry out any actions that "could contravene the rulings of the Constitutional Court", such as using their premises for the "promotion or holding" of events connected to "a vote that is in violation of our Constitution". Millo once again reiterates that the TC has ruled that the referendum scheduled for October 1st “is illegal".

The letter starts off detailing one by one the TC rulings that have declared the Catalan Parliament's decisions regarding the referendum as "contrary to constitutional order". In addition, he adds that Temporary Provision Fifteen of the Education Law specifically establishes that schools "cannot be destined to other services or ends without prior consent from the relevant educational authorities". In his letter, Millo stresses that “I must warn you that electoral regulations do not apply in this matter".

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