Catalonia vote set on leader facing probe

BARCELONA, SPAIN >> The parliament in Catalonia has scheduled a vote today to elect as the Spanish region’s next president a former separatist minister who could be indicted on rebellion charges hours later.

Jordi Turull, the former chief of staff and spokesman for the ousted Catalan government, is the third candidate proposed by proindependence lawmakers since a December election.

Turull is among the exofficials facing possible rebellion charges punishable by up to 30 years in prison over the regional parliament’s bid last year to secede Catalonia from Spain.

The Spain Supreme Court judge overseeing the investigation announced Wednesday he planned to issue indictments on Friday morning. The separatist faction in the Catalan parliament quickly scheduled the vote on Turull for Thursday afternoon.

If Judge Pablo Llarena charges Turull with rebellion, he also could ban the politician from holding office and even send him to jail until a trial is held.