Puigdemont's lawyer Gonzalo Boye has accused Spain's Supreme Court of cheating in its petition to the European Parliament to waive Carles Puigdemont's immunity. In a thread on his Twitter account, Boye has pointed out a mistake in the English version of the Catalan independence trial sentence provided by the Supreme Court.
Boye remarks that the translation reads "misappropriation of public funds" where it should say "embezzlement" or "mismanagement of public funds".
He holds the suspicion that this mistake could have been made in order to "mislead European authorities making them believe that it refers to the actual offence of misappropriation of public funds".
Domingo de detalles... @josepcosta ¿Por qué la traducción al inglés que el Supremo hace de la Sentencia del Procès habla de “misappropriation of public funds” para referirse a la malversación cuando la traducción correcta sería “embezzlement” o “mismanagement of public funds”?
— Gonzalo Boye (@boye_g) 9 de febrer de 2020
Translation:
"Sunday of details... Josep Costa, why does the English version of the Catalan independence trial sentence provided by the Supreme Court talk about 'misappropriation of public funds' to refer to [the original Spanish term]'malversación' if the correct translation should be 'embezzlement' or 'mismanagement of public funds'?" - Gonzalo Boye
¿No estarán tratando de confundir a las autoridades europeas haciéndoles creer que se trata de un delito de “apropiación indebida “ que sí se diría “misappropriation of public funds? Igual es que me he vuelto suspicaz
— Gonzalo Boye (@boye_g) 9 de febrer de 2020
Translation:
"Could they be trying to mislead European authorities making them believe that it is actually an "improper appropriation" offence? I might have become too suspicious" - Gonzalo Boye
Boye warns that a wrong translation is relevant since it could affect the assessment of the request to waive the immunity on Puigdemont and Toni Comín. The lawyer fears that this mistranslation could lead "some impassioned MEP to call Puigdemont and Comín 'thieves' at the European Parliament".
Esta “confusión” no es un dato menor y tendrá graves consecuencias a la hora de poder valorar o no el suplicatorio... tal vez por ese “error de traducción” alguna eurodiputada un tanto exaltada llamaba “ladrones” a @KRLS y a @toni_comin en el hemiciclo del Parlamento Europeo
— Gonzalo Boye (@boye_g) 9 de febrer de 2020
Translation:
"This "misunderstanding" is not a minor fact and will have serious consequences when it comes to assessing the petition... perhaps this "mistranslation" could lead some impassioned MEP to call Puigdemont and Comín 'thieves' at the European Parliament" - Gonzalo Boye
The mistranslation affects the Catalan MEPs' petition, since the sentence changes from an "improper management offence to a misappropiation one"
Boye recalls another mistranslation by the Spanish Supreme Court: that of the 2018 European Arrest Warrant against Puigdemont in Germany. On that occasion the translation was incomplete, as "some sentences were missing".
Finally, he explains that the only competent body to send the petition to the European Parliament is the Spanish Ministry of Justice and not the Supreme Court. "The court has not followed the legal path and has sent a wrong translation describing an offence they are not accused of."
Según el Consejo de Estado el único órgano competente para remitir un suplicatorio al Parlamento Europeo es el Ministerio de Justicia; el Supremo no acudió a ese cauce legal y, de pasada, envió una traducción “errónea” atribuyendo un delito por el que no vienen reclamados
— Gonzalo Boye (@boye_g) 9 de febrer de 2020
Translation:
"According to the State Council the only competent body to send a petition to the European Parliament is the Ministry of Justice; the Supreme Court has not followed this legal path and, beyond that, has sent a "wrong" translation claiming an offence they are not accused of." - Gonzalo Boye