MADRID: Prosecutors have filed suits against government officials in Spain’s powerful north-eastern region of Catalonia for staging a vote on secession that had been ordered suspended by the constitutional court.

The prosecutor’s office urged Catalonia’s regional court on Friday to investigate possible charges of grave disobedience, abuse of public funds, prevarication, usurpation of powers and obstructing justice against Catalan regional President Artur Mas and two other regional officials for staging the Nov 9 non-binding ballot.

The court must now decide if the case merits appointing an investigative magistrate to handle.

Catalonia held the poll after plans to stage a proper referendum were also suspended when the Spanish government challenged its legality. Catalan officials said that out of 6.3 million potential voters, 2.3 million cast ballots, with most favouring secession.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2014