BARCELONA—In just two months, Andreu Mas-Colell, an internationally renowned economist and former Harvard professor, went from enjoying a peaceful retirement in his hometown of Barcelona to facing allegations by the Spanish state that could result in the seizure of his assets.
Mr. Mas-Colell, 77 years old, was the economy minister of Catalonia, a prosperous region in northeast Spain, from 2010 to 2016. He is accused by Spain’s Court of Auditors, an administrative body that oversees public accounts, of participating in an alleged misuse of millions of euros by allegedly helping to promote Catalonia’s quest for independence from Spain, which culminated in an illegal referendum in 2017.
On Tuesday, the Court of Auditors imposed a penalty of up to €2.8 million on Mr. Mas-Colell, equivalent to about $3.3 million, as part of proceedings against 34 former Catalan officials accused of illegally spending a total of €5.4 million. The accused have to pay…