A Barcelona-based court said Saturday that the police searches took place Friday in the towns of Valls and Constanti in southern Catalonia. The court said the searches formed part of an investigation into possible disobedience, prevarication and the embezzlement of public funds by Catalan officials. The regional Catalan newspaper El Vallenc reported that "4 agents of the Civil Guard entered our newspaper." Media speculation is that the printer and the newspaper could be connected to plans by the regional government to prepare for the independence referendum. Spain's constitutional court has suspended laws passed by the Catalan parliament this week to call for an independence referendum on Oct. 1.

Source: ABC News September 09, 2017 18:46 UTC