French civil servant arrested by security agency, suspected of spying for foreign government

French domestic security agency on Sunday night, arrested and detained for questioning, a senior official in the French Senate on suspicion he was was working as a spy for North Korea, BBC reports.

According to judicial sources, the home of the suspect and that of his parents have been been searched following his arrest.

The suspect, Benoît Quennedey, is a senior civil servant working for the Senate's department of architecture, heritage and gardens and also the president  of the Franco-Korean Friendship Association (AAFC in French).

As president of the Franco-Korean Friendship Association -- aimed at promoting closer between both countries -- Mr Quennedey has visited Pyongyang severally in recent years and has met with officials and academics working in the architecture and construction fields, according to the AAFC website.

He authored books and articles on North Korea.

The investigation into Mr. Quennedey, first reported by the Quotidien programme of the TV channel TMC, began in March.



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