This Wednesday a reserved session of the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Commission was held to talk about purchasing Pegasus software. The Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, was present at the meeting, who provided some details on the topic.
(Read more: What does Pegasus mean and why is it a trend in Colombia?)
The head of the security portfolio stressed that this is a situation “very serious for the country” and that the public force has all the will and disposition “to carry out verifications with the Prosecutor’s Office, who is carrying out the investigations.”
Minister Velásquez also recalled that although it is known that there was a “acquisition” of this spy program through covert operations, It is still unknown who made them. Added to this is that the characteristics of the system make it “difficult location.”
“If equipment was used to use the software, it is common sense that, given the dimensions of this scandal, the equipment would have been destroyed. It is difficult for us to find the equipment where the software was installed in any office or residence.”indicated the Ministry of Defense.
In his speech, the official explained that it is evident that the operation would have been done without leaving records. In addition, there is no reserved expense item that has been allocated for the acquisition of the software.
Iván Velásquez, Minister of Defense
Sergio Acero Yate / El Tiempo
(See: What Pegasus software can really do, in the words of an expert)
“The system is not registered in the inventories of the intelligence agencies, but we are faced with the reality that there was a Pegasus, which according to what we know had to have had its license renewed, because this has a one-year license.”he pointed out.
The minister added that in this Government there has been no authorization to renew licenses of this nature, which “to rest assured that this software is not currently used.”
According to Velásquez, The Prosecutor’s Office will deploy a mission in Israel as part of the investigation carried out by the entity regarding the purchase and use of Pegasus. In that sense, he indicated that the rupture of diplomatic relations between both countries does not prevent articulated work from being carried out to clarify the situation.
“The Prosecutor’s Office has been prosecuting this investigation with the support of Dijin and Dipol, but we have not had contact with NSO Group (software development company)”he added.
(See: Prosecutor’s Office confirmed purchase of Pegasus spy software for 11 million dollars)
PORTFOLIO
*With information from EL TIEMPO – JUSTICIA
