Spanish judge demands explanations over Puigdemont's escape

Madrid: A top Spanish judge demanded explanations on Friday from police and government as to how fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont was able to...

Madrid: A top Spanish judge demanded explanations on Friday from police and government as to how fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont was able to return to Spain despite a pending arrest warrant and vanish again.

Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena, who had issued the arrest warrant for Puigdemont, requested answers specifically from Catalonia's regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra.

Puigdemont, who fled abroad after leading a failed 2017 independence bid for Catalonia, defied the warrant to return to Spain on Thursday to deliver a speech to thousands gathered at the Catalan regional parliament in Barcelona.

He then disappeared into the crowd.

Catalonia's regional police said it had arrested two of its officers, including one who owned the car used by Puigdemont to leave the scene.