An in-depth investigation carried out by RAC1, Catalonia’s top radio station, unveiled on Tuesday that the “patriotic police” (an alleged informal faction within the Spanish National Police Force (CNP)), has been suspected of engaging in illegal surveillance operations by spying on senior Moroccan officials, including Morocco’s consul in Barcelona and other notable figures within the Moroccan community in Catalonia.
The investigation revealed that Jorge Fernández Díaz, a member of the Spanish Popular Party (PP), former civil governor in Barcelona, and Minister of the Interior (2011-2016) during Mariano Rajoy’s presidency, greenlit surveillance operations and allocated covert funds to ascertain if the Moroccan government held a secret agreement with the Catalan government at the time led by Joaquim Torra i Pla. Also known as Quim Torra, he was the head of the Generalitat from 2018-2020 and presided over Carles Puigdemont’s exile decision.
The Catalan separatists were spied upon using the Pegasus software, prompting them to file a complaint against the Spanish intelligence services for “unauthorized access to computer systems,” “illegal interception of communications,” and “cyber espionage.”
While the investigation indicated that approximately 60 phones were compromised between 2017 and 2020 via Pegasus software, the Spanish government acknowledged that 18 separatists had been subjected to wiretapping with judicial consent.
Amidst this controversy, Paz Esteban, the first woman to lead the National Intelligence Center (CNI), was removed from her position.