Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced on Tuesday appointing Esperanza Casteleiro, who has served as the second highest rank in Spain's defense ministry, as the new director of the National Intelligence Center (CNI), local daily El Pais reported. 

"The government has decided today to make a change in the leadership of the CNI," Robles told a news conference after a Cabinet ministers meeting.

The Spanish government has sacked the country's spy chief Paz Esteban following the disclosure of the use of Pegasus software to spy on Spanish officials, the El Pais said.