Spanish police detained 29 people Thursday and raided several offices across Catalonia in an operation against the alleged misappropriation of public development aid money. The statement said the public funds were meant to help with development projects in Latin America, Morocco, Bosnia and elsewhere. The police said several former government officials were among those detained, including the former head of the Barcelona provincial government, Salvador Esteve. Esteve was later released but will remain under investigation, Spanish private news agency Europa Press reported. Europa Press cited police sources saying the funds might have been diverted to support the separatists' drive for Catalan independence.

Source: ABC News May 24, 2018 09:56 UTC