An internal espionage scandal is rocking Italy after a private investigation firm made up of current and former senior members of the security services was alleged to have stolen personal information on politicians, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and public figures, to be used for extortion.
Israel's Mossad was alleged to have been involved in deals with the Milan-based investigative firm.
At least four people are under arrest and dozens more under investigation. Cyber security experts and hackers may have breached the servers of Italy's interior ministry, investigators said.
Meloni described the alleged plot as "unacceptable" and "a threat to democracy." Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto demanded an urgent parliamentary probe, out of concern that state secrets may have been compromised. He said the personal information that was exposed is the tip of the iceberg.
Italian media described the affair as a conspiracy of the highest level that involves members of the mafia and officials in the intelligence services along with foreign intelligence services including the Mossad.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greets Prime Minister Netanyahu in Rome
(צילום: איתי בית-און / לע"מ)
A former senior member of the police who heads Equalize, a private business intelligence firm, is the primary suspect in the investigation and is accused of breaching the servers of government ministries and the police since 2019 and until 2024, to build massive files, packed with secrets and sensitive information which he sold or planned to sell to his clients.
Most of the firm's clients are large companies or major law firms which were interested in access either to gain an advantage over competitors, to succeed in court cases or for extortion.
According to a report in the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera on Wednesday, investigators intercepted a visit to the investigation firm by two unidentified Israelis who were described as intelligence agents, who wanted to deal in information regarding Iranian gas that may be of interest to Italy's government gas company, ENI and pertained to illegal trade in gas with Iran.
The newspaper also said that the visit was coordinated by a senior member of the police who worked for Italian intelligence, the Mossad's counterpart, a man identified as Lorezo De Marcio, and that the Israeli agents asked for help in identifying the actions of Russian hackers and Russian bank transactions connected to the notorious Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin's former ally who was reportedly assassinated after he led a mutiny against the Russian military.
The Open website claimed the Israelis asked to stop funding of Prigozhin by Russian oligarchs and offered the Italian firm classified information on illegal purchases of gas from Iran and a payment of one million euros. According to the website, the Vatican was involved in assisting the action against Russia.
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First published: 16:07, 10.30.24