Catalan Parliament Speaker Files Lawsuit Against Ex-Spanish Intel Head Over Alleged Spying

MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2020) Catalan parliament speaker Roger Torrent on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the former head of Spain's National Intelligence Service (CNI), Felix Roldan, for allegedly spying on his cellphone in 2019.

Earlier in July, newspapers El Pais and The Guardian released findings of a joint investigation that found that last year Torrent and at least another two Catalan pro-independence politicians had their phones infiltrated by spyware � the Pegasus malicious spying program � which tracked their communications. According to the investigation, in the period from April-May last year, the Pegasus spyware could have been used to hack phones of hundreds of people worldwide via a previously existing bug in the software of the WhatsApp messenger, which belongs to Facebook.

"The only ones who have access to the software to spy on us are government intelligence services and Felix Roldan, who was the CNI chief when the attack took place. We bring this lawsuit to protect our interests and to bring claims to those responsible," Torrent wrote on Twitter.

Ernest Maragall, a member of the Catalan parliament from the Catalan Republican Left, who served as minister for foreign affairs in 2018, and NSO Group, the Israeli company that developed the spying program, also joined the lawsuit.

Earlier in July, the Catalan parliament speaker accused the Spanish government of being behind the attack. In response, government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said that Madrid was not in possession of any information about alleged spyware installed on Torrent's cellphone and called upon the parties concerned to go to court.