Mercé Pigem, one of the twenty members of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), a body made up of judges and jurists which oversees the legal system in Spain, has resigned following an incident involving moving funds from Andorra to Spain.
Reports emerged that Pigem and her sister had been stopped at the border between the tax haven of Andorra and Spain. Mercé Pigem was carrying €9,500, just under the legal limit of €10,000, but her sister was carrying €10,600.
Mercé Pigem was summoned by the president of the CPGJ, Carlos Lesmes, who reportedly asked her to resign as a gesture aimed at preserving the exemplary image of the body. Although she was not involved in the commission of a crime, it was thought that the values of the CGPJ could be compromised by this incident.
Ms Pigem stated that the monies were a gift from her mother for the purchase of Christmas presents and that the amount she was carrying was within the legal limit for undeclared cash.