Pegasus Spyware Detected On Mobile Phones Prime Minister And Minister Of Defense, Spanish Intelligence Chief Fired

JAKARTA - The Spanish government has decided to fire the head of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) Paz Esteban, following the disclosure of the use of Pegasus software to spy on Spanish officials, a source told Reuters.

Esteban, who assumed his position in 2020 after years of service as an agent with the National Intelligence Center as a known spy agency, appeared last week before lawmakers in Congress to explain wiretapping of Catalan leaders.

The committee in which he appeared is subject to official secrecy, but lawmakers present said Esteban acknowledged the spy agency had wiretapped 18 pro-independence leaders, but always under court orders, as required by law.

As for other possible eavesdropping, there was no official explanation and the government said it was investigating the allegations, but unease over the hacking of the prime minister's cell phone has been growing.

ERC leader Oriol Junqueras, who was jailed for his role in the Catalan secession attempt but later pardoned by the current Socialist government said his party would return to support the government if "responsibility is taken".

ERC legislator Gabriel Rufian supported the decision to fire Esteban.

"(It) seemed logical to me and I thought it would also be good to disassemble some documents and form an investigative committee," he told reporters, citing Reuters May 10.

As previously reported, Spanish authorities have detected the 'Pegasus' spyware on the mobile phones of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Defense Minister Margarita Robles, Presidential Affairs Minister Felix Bolanos said Monday last week.

"The intervention was illegal and external. External means were carried out by non-official bodies and without state permission," he said, adding the infection had been reported to the justice ministry and the High Court would handle the case.

Last month, Canadian digital rights group Citizen Lab said more than 60 people linked to the Catalan separatist movement had been targeted by the Pegasus spyware created by Israel's NSO Group.

This prompted the left pro-independence party ERC, a key ally of Spain's minority government, to say it would not support it until Madrid took action to restore confidence.