The Catalan Interior minister, Joaquim Forn, has publicly claimed that the Spanish executive is creating a narrative to justify its intercession in the Mossos d'Esquadra Catalan police. The minister said that this possibility was explicitly suggested yesterday by a high-ranking official who took part in a meeting at the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia with the police forces. He also says that a letter today from his Spanish counterpart, José Ignacio Zoido, informing him of the reinforcement of the state's forces in Catalonia in response to what he describes as "tumultuous mobilisations" does nothing but support this thesis.
Forn said that in yesterday's meeting held by the Superior Public Prosecutor of Catalonia, José María Romero de Tejada, with all the police forces, including the Urban Guard, the head of the coordination cabinet of the Secretariat of State of Security, Diego Pérez de los Cobos, also turned up. This high-ranking official of the Interior ministry signalled that article 38.2 of the Law of the Forces and Bodies of Security could be applied in Catalonia. This article establishes that, although the Mossos have priority in terms of security functions in Catalonia, the state's forces could intervene if required to do so by the Catalan government or "by their own decision" when they believe it necessary. Pérez de los Cobos also apparently cited article 46.2 of the law, which makes it clear that when, in a certain service, state and autonomous community bodies coincide simultaneously, "it will be the commanders of the first who assume the management of the operation".
Crime of sedition
Zoido also cites article 38.2 in the letter he sent to the Catalan government today in which he justifies the reinforcement of the state police forces in Catalonia in the face of what he describes as "tumultuous mobilisations". According to the minister, this type of mobilisation would be a "prior requirement for the bringing of charges of sedition", even though it's an "absolute falsehood" that they're being produced.
Likewise, Forn reports that the Public Prosecutor sent an instruction to the Mossos, the Civil Guard and Spain's National Police on 14 September telling them to draft plans to "prevent the celebration of the referendum" and detailing the aspects the plans have to contain, including the description of the planned resources and the means to be dedicated to it.
On this matter, Forn notes that the Public Prosecutor "cannot act as a police", that it can ask for investigations but can't intervene in the way the operation is organised as that decision depends on the Mossos.
Political complaint
All in all, according to the minister, it "clearly" shows the Spanish state's intention to intervene in the Catalan police, for which he warns they don't plan on staying quiet, that they will make a political complaint of this situation and will call for the law establishing the Catalan police as the competent authority in terms of security to be followed.
In Forn's opinion, decisions of "enormous legal weakness" are being taken and with situations that are difficult to explain, like the presence of a high-ranking official from the central Interior ministry in yesterday's meeting, or the Public Prosecutor's intention to intercede in the Mossos' operation.
Breaking the Mossos
For the time being, the ministry is preparing the response to the letter they received this morning. The minister said that he will thank them for the offer of reinforcements from the state police forces but will reiterate that the Mossos are "perfectly able and competent" to be able to manage security in a situation like the present one, which is "absolutely peaceful and calm".
When asked about the situation in which an order from the central ministry would leave the Mossos, the minister warned that "it could form part of the state's plans for there to be a breaking [of the force]", which the Catalan government wants to avoid by all means possible.