A SPANISH judge ordered nine sacked Catalan regional ministers remanded in custody yesterday over their independence bid last month.

The nine members of the Catalan autonomous community’s now dismissed government, including vice-president Oriol Junqueras, turned up for questioning at a Madrid court yesterday as ordered.

Absent was dismissed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, now a fugitive in Belgium.

Investigative magistrate Carmen Lamela granted a request by the attorney general to remand them while they are investigated for possible sedition, rebellion and embezzlement charges.

Ms Lamela set bail of €50,000 (£44,670) for one of the former ministers.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s federal government, with the support of the Senate and most opposition parties, suspended the Catalan government last weekend and ordered ministers to clear their desks on Monday.

Meanwhile, six Catalan regional MPs appeared yesterday at a parallel hearing of the Supreme Court.

They were given a week to prepare their defences and instructed to return for questioning on November 9.

Thousands rallied outside the now vacant Catalan presidential palace in Barcelona in support of the ministers as the hearings proceeded.

Prosecutors also asked Ms Lamela to issue a European arrest warrant for Mr Puigdemont and four of his ministers who fled to Brussels on Monday.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Puigdemont repeatedly referred to Brussels as “the capital of Europe” — apparently appealing to the EU to intervene on behalf of the separatists.

But Brussels has given the Catalan independence movement the cold shoulder and backed Madrid in the conflict.