Local elections : A Spanish-Moroccan candidate reportedly targeted by intelligence services

A Spanish-Moroccan national is reportedly targeted by the Spanish intelligence services. Samir El Jebli Bhioui is described as a «sleeper agent» that has been placed by Morocco in the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), a Catalan nationalist and liberal political party in Spain that supports Catalan independence.

According to an article published, Monday, by Spanish daily El Mundo, Bhioui has alleged links with the General Directorate for Studies and Documentation (DGED) and its agents in Barcelona. The newspaper reports that the man in question is heading the PDeCAT electoral list for Spain’s local elections expected to take place on May the 25th in Canovellas, a municipality situated in the comarca of Vallès Oriental, in the province of Barcelona.

Fearing a Moroccan «threat» ?

Giving more details, the newspaper made mention of a message that has been sent by the Spanish counterintelligence services : «No candidate of Moroccan origin, and who is a member of a Spanish political party, is allowed to run for elections without the approval of Morocco».

«Yes, he works for Morocco. He was slowly but surely introduced into the entourage of the leaders of the Moroccan community in Spain who send information to DGED», the same source reported.

However, it is not the first time that the 29-year-old man tries to get into politics. In 2015, he was ranked fourth on the electoral list of Convergence and Union (CIU), a Catalan nationalist electoral alliance in Catalonia.

Moreover, according to the sources of El Mundo, Bhioui reportedly visited Brussels on March the 26th to meet Carles Puigdemont, the former President of Catalonia who was dismissed by Madrid in October 2017 for having organized a referendum and who has been living in Belgium since 2017. 

Another source who introduced itself as a «former DGED agent» believes that «the fact that Morocco has placed someone in PDeCAR would allow it to have an idea about the independence movements in Catalonia and collect information that could be used against Spain».