A subsidiary of global renewables giant Iberdrola has been placed under formal investigation in Spain in connection with alleged bribery related to corporate espionage allegations dating back almost a decade, it was reported.

The Spanish High Court will investigate the circumstances surrounding the hiring by Iberdrola Renovables of a former police chief to allegedly spy on a Swiss-based wind project company that was working with the company on turbine developments in Romania early in the 2010s, reported Reuters and local media outlets.