Spy says his 'death' was all a misunderstanding

Times
From Graham Keeley in Barcelona



SPAIN’S most infamous spy came back from the dead yesterday, six years after his family published a death notice and paid monks to pray for his soul.

Francisco Paesa, an arms dealer and spy who is credited with dealing Eta, the Basque terrorist group, a severe blow, was tracked down in Paris after seven years on the run. Spain is expected to seek his extradition to face corruption charges.

In what could have been a chapter from the pages of an Ian Fleming novel, Señor Paesa faked his death and remained one step ahead of the law. He supposedly died of a heart attack in Thailand in 1998; a year later his family lodged a death certificate at a Spanish court.

His suspicious “death” was thought to have ended a tale of espionage, double-crossing and high living spanning more than 20 years. Suave and good- looking, Señor Paesa became a multimillionaire while arranging a successful operation against Eta in 1986.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1905562,00.html

:shrug: