US EditionPoland Charges Former ABW and SKW Chiefs Over Israeli Pegasus Spyware Use
Two former Polish intelligence chiefs face up to three years in prison for using Pegasus spyware without required IT security accreditation, risking exposure of secret information.
- On Wednesday, Poland's National Prosecutor's Office announced charges against Piotr P., former head of ABW, and Maciej Materka, former head of SKW, for alleged unauthorized use of Pegasus spyware.
- Prosecutors allege the former ABW and SKW chiefs used Pegasus spyware without required IT security accreditation, despite knowing it risked compromising `secret` and `top-secret` agency information and was used before the 2023 change in power in Poland.
- Pegasus spyware can infiltrate mobile phones and device microphones/cameras, harvesting personal and location data; developed by NSO Group, it has sparked debate in Europe over alleged use against journalists and activists.
- Separately, prosecutors say both face up to three years in prison for failing their official duties, while Zbigniew Ziobro, former Justice Minister and Attorney General, faces up to 25 years for alleged misuse of funds to buy Pegasus spyware.
- The defendants denied the alleged acts and refused to give explanations during questioning, and the prosecutions have reignited political tensions involving officials who served under the Law and Justice party.
13 Articles
13 Articles
In Poland, prosecutors have charged two former Polish intelligence chiefs with using the spyware Pegasus during the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government. The Israeli-developed software, which has also been deployed in Hungary, can not only access all data on a phone, but can also remotely turn on the device’s microphone and camera. The PiS government, which approved the purchase of Pegasus in 2017, argued that the device was necessary to fi…
Two former senior officials of Poland's security services have been charged with illegally authorizing the use of the controversial Pegasus spyware program, which the ruling coalition claims was used by former...
The National Prosecutor's Office has charged former head of the Internal Security Agency, Piotr Pogonowski, and former head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, Maciej Materka, with failing to fulfill their duties in connection with the approval and use of the Pegasus system. Prosecutor Przemysław Nowak, spokesman for the National Prosecutor's Office, said the system was allegedly approved for use despite the lack of appropriate accredit…
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