Spanish police arrested a member of the security service as part of the investigation into the escape of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont from Barcelona after a political rally, local media reported.
The arrested policeman is the owner of the car that Puigdemont used to escape from the square, where he appeared at a rally in front of the Parliament building in Barcelona.
Catalan police confirmed that an officer had been arrested, but no other details were released.
The former Catalan president appeared earlier, despite a warrant for his arrest, at a rally in Barcelona after a seven-year self-imposed exile, then disappeared, prompting a police investigation.
Despite heavy police security, Puigdemont addressed a crowd of thousands of supporters in the Catalan capital from a stage set up not far from the Catalan parliament.
“They thought they would celebrate my arrest and that the sentence would discourage me. Well, they were wrong,” Puigdemont emphasized.
After the speech, he left the stage and the police and the media were unable to find him. The pursuit of Puigdemont caused a traffic collapse in Barcelona, while a blockade was set up nearthe border with France.
Puigdemont has not been arrested and has already traveled to Belgium, said the general secretary of the Together for Catalonia party, Jordi Turull.
“Puigdemont is already on his way to Waterloo. I’m in Catalonia, Spain, and I’m traveling by car to meet my family, who are on vacation,” Turull told the “RAC1” media service.
Yesterday, despite a warrant for his arrest, Puigdemont appeared at a rally in Barcelona and then disappeared, prompting a police investigation.
Despite heavy police security, Puigdemont addressed a crowd of thousands of supporters in the Catalan capital from a stage set up not far from the Catalan parliament.
After the speech he left the stage and the police and the media were unable to find him. The pursuit of Puigdemont caused a traffic collapse in Barcelona, while a blockade was set up not far from the border with France.
The search was later called off.
Puigdemont heads the Hunts party and was the leader of Catalonia between 2016 and 2017, before leaving Spain for Belgium after the Spanish province’s failed independence referendum.
