Poland charges ex-intel chiefs for using Israel’s Pegasus spyware

Former officials face up to three years in prison if convicted for failing in their duties.

Polish prosecutors filed criminal charges against two ex-intelligence chiefs for using Israeli-made Pegasus spyware on the job, saying it potentially jeopardised sensitive information.

The National Prosecutors’ Office announced the charges against Piotr P, former head of Poland’s ABW internal security agency, and Maciej Materka, head of the SKW military counterintelligence service, on Wednesday.

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Prosecutors withheld their last names under Polish privacy law, but Materka later named himself in a social media post condemning the action.

In a press release, the prosecutor’s office said the men “did not have the required IT security accreditation” for the software, and used it “despite being aware of the risk of compromising” the agency’s activities, including “secret” or “top-secret” information.

Each faces up to three years in prison for allegedly failing in their official duties. The prosecutors said both men denied the alleged acts and “refused to give explanations” during questioning.

In a post on X, Materka said it was his duty to provide officers “with the necessary and best possible tools” for their work.

“All operational activities carried out during my leadership of the SKW were undertaken exclusively on the basis of decisions and court approvals required by law,” he said, adding he “served Poland with an impeccable record” for 24 years.

Other officials in Poland also face charges over the use of the Pegasus spy system.

Former Justice Minister and Attorney General Zbigniew Ziobro, who was in office from 2015 to 2023, faces up to 25 years in prison on abuse of power and other charges – including using funds meant for crime victims to buy Pegasus spyware, allegedly to monitor political opponents.

The spyware, created by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group and licensed to foreign government agencies, is a highly advanced hacking and surveillance tool that can operate covertly.

It can infiltrate a target’s mobile phone and harvest personal and location data, as well as control the phone’s microphones and cameras without the user’s knowledge. Some of the information Pegasus has access to includes photos, web searches, passwords, call logs, communications and social media posts.

It has been accused of being used against journalists and activists around the world, including in Jordan and Serbia.