Spanish police last week accused the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police, link in Catalan) of "illegally spying" on certain "political parties, activists, public and private individuals, entities and platforms, all of marked pro-union or constitutionalist profile". Today, newspaper La Vanguardia reports (in Spanish), based on a Mossos report, that it had nothing to do with politics or espionage, but that one of those involved wanted an excuse to meet up with a Catalan officer.
The Mossos opened an investigation into two individuals who claimed to be members of Cesicat (Centre of Information Security of Catalonia) trying to recruit an agent of the Catalan police to supposedly monitor politicians.
In fact, one of the two had met the officer previously and invented the whole story to be able to meet him again. They had three meetings with the agent to whom they offered a contract carrying the official seal of Cesicat. They also offered him 700 euros a month (£630, $870) and a flat whilst he worked.
The report on the matter was included in the documentation from the force's information unit that agents were taking to burn in an incinerator on 26th October last year which was seized by Spanish police.
The supposed spies
Last week's report discussed alleged spying from when Ramon Espadaler was minister of Interior (2012-2015). It alleged that Mossos "illegally spied" on "political parties, activists, public and private individuals, entities and platforms, all of marked pro-union or constitutionalist profile". Among the names included were Spanish deputy prime minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, and the leader of Ciutadans, Albert Rivera.
That report also said it was based on the information in the documents seized from the incinerator on 26th October.