Trial begins of Spaniard charged with spying for Russia (1st Lead)

Jan 25, 2010, 11:40 GMT

Madrid - The trial began in Spain on Monday of a suspected double agent charged with endangering national security by selling confidential information to Russia.

Roberto Florez, a former agent of the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty of treason.

If he is only found guilty of revealing secrets, he could be handed a sentence of up to four years.

Florez' lawyer Manuel Olle denied the charges against his client, pledging to seek his acquittal on entering the courthouse in Madrid.

Florez worked with the CNI from 1991 to 2004.

He was detained in 2007 on the Canary Island of Tenerife, where police found evidence suggesting spying in his home.

The evidence included confidential CNI documents, DVDs, CDs, cassettes, computer discs, as well as two letters addressed by Florez to the then third-in-charge of the Russian embassy in Madrid.

In the letters, the Spaniard offered to disclose to Russia information on the identities of Spanish secret agents abroad, on the structure of the CNI and its working methods in Russia.

Florez offered to sell the information for 200,000 dollars (150,000 euros), according to prosecution.

The alleged spying would have occurred at a time when Spain was a staunch ally of the United States in the Iraq conflict and could have been thought to possess information which was of interest for foreign intelligence services.

Olle admitted that the letters written by Florez 'are there,' but promised to explain their existence in court.

Florez' defence was expected to argue that there was no evidence of any classified information ever arriving in Russian hands.

The trial was taking place behind closed doors for concern that classified information would be revealed in court.

Witnesses were expected to include a former CNI director, but not the Russian whom Florez' letters were addressed to. Press reports said Spain wanted to avoid creating strain in its relations with Russia.

When Florez was arrested in 2007, the Russian embassy denied having had contacts with him.

The trial was described as the first one for treason since Spain became a democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. However, Spanish courts have found two people guilty of illegally appropriating secret service documents.