The former directors of Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) have been charged for allegedly using Pegasus spyware, the national prosecutor’s office has announced.
After Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government took over in late 2023, it launched multiple inquiries into the alleged use of the controversial software developed by the Israeli-based NSO Group. The new authorities have claimed the program was widely used by the former Law and Justice (PiS) government to spy on opposition politicians. Former officials, however, have insisted the accusations are politically motivated.
The head of the ABW, Piotr Pogonowski, and the ex-chief of the SKW, Maciej Materka, are both now facing accusations of breaching their official duties, the prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday. The charges, which carry a penalty of up to three years behind bars, are related to the alleged use of Pegasus without proper clearance and “without checking whether this system meets the requirements of information protection,” the prosecution said. Both former officials have denied any wrongdoing and refused to testify, it noted.
Hellbound and Down 