A former director of security at Barcelona will appear in court as a suspect over claims that he used 400,000 euros of club money to spy on political rivals.
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Prosecutors allege that Xavier Martorell used private detective agency Metodo 3 to follow two Catalan Democratic Union councillors in 2010, a party he was a councillor of at the same time in the town of San Cugat, reports The Times.
The Spanish side complained to police that Martorell used club funds without authorisation, and he resigned from his position at the club following the accusations. A spokesperson for Barcelona declined to comment.
Martorell been called to appear in court at a date yet to be fixed, and while he has not yet been charged, he could potentially face charges of unwarranted use of club funds.
The news follows allegations that the club used the same detective agency to follow Gerard Pique's trips with Shakira to nightclubs between 2008 and 2010 to track his alcohol intake, according to El Pais.