Prensa Latina reports of more hacker disclosures.
A new electronic espionage scandal shakes Panama today, after a group of hackers disclosed confidential information of the Italian firm Hacking Team, of which the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) was a client.
An extensive report by the newspaper La Prensa reveals that apparently the Panamanian president contracted from 2011 until May 31, 2014, the services of this company, specialized in surveillance software and cyber espionage.
The documents leaked on the Internet shows that the Security Office of the Presidency of Panama paid $ 750,000 over three years for the acquisition of the software to eavesdrop on telecommunications.
Although the use of the product purchased by Panama is still unknown, investigations conducted by Forbes indicate that the Da Vinci software is among the offers of Hacking Team.
This remote system can turn the intercepted phones or equipment into “bugs”, or eavesdrop in conversations of users of WhatsApp or Skype, according to the source.
Despite the denials of the Hacking Team spokesman, Eric Rabe, that his company sold spy equipment to several governments, including that of Panama, the international organization that defends human rights on the Internet, Privacy International, says the opposite.
In a recent statement, this group reveals that “Hacking Team is one of the companies currently providing governments with spy tools to monitor their citizens illegally.”
The truth is that Martinelli is credited with an investigation into illegal wiretapping, through a machine purchased from an Israeli company.
According to documents that La Prensa had access to, the Italian espionage team had 40 targets being spied remotely, while there were two contact e-mails, one in Colombia and one in Panama.
Among those eavesdropped on, or followed in Twitter are the lawyer Zulay Rodriguez, deputy for the Democratic Revolutionary Party, and other politicians, mostly members of the organization, says the newspaper.
As in the case of the Israeli machine, in the case of the Italian one Ronny Rodriguez and William Pitti shine once again, both under the moniker of “Didier” and “Guillermo”, respectively, who are currently fugitives of the Panamanian justice.
Both are accused of violating the private communications of at least 150 people, including politicians, judges, journalists, trade unionists, and other members of civil society.
According to witnesses, Rodriguez and Pitti maintained direct contact with Martinelli, to whom they reported on the espionage operations being carried out in the National Security Council.