Colombia’s president orders probe into purchase of Israeli Pegasus spyware

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered an investigation into the purchase of Israel’s Pegasus spyware by the government led by his predecessor, Ivan Duque.

Petro said in a televised message late Wednesday that the information came to his knowledge in August and denounced that there was spying activity against him during the presidential campaign.

“In July-August 2021, before the campaign, an Israeli bank reported unusual activity: $5.5 million in cash in a company account. This payment was related to an $11 million deal signed between NSO (Group) and the Colombian Police Intelligence Directorate (DIPOL) for the purchase of Pegasus," he said.

Pegasus is spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group. According to Petro, between June and October 2021, DIPOL purchased the software, which has been at the center of great controversy in countries such as Spain and Mexico.

“DIPOL acquired this software to spy on cell phones during the outbreak of social unrest and before the campaign. The money was transported by air from Bogota to Tel Aviv on June 27, 2021, declared at Israeli customs and deposited at the company on June 30, 2021.”

The president asked the head of the police, General William Salamanca, "to locate the software, inside or outside DIPOL, so that citizens can have peace of mind that their constitutional rights are respected."

"The investigation must be led by the Attorney General's Office, through a forensic audit, so that the truth is known. And we will get to it,” he added.

The Attorney General's Office announced on Thursday that it opened investigations to identify those responsible for the acquisition and illegal use of the Pegasus software.

Petro’s announcement comes as his government faces the first major strike of transporters, who are rejecting a rise in the price of diesel, a topic that occupies the news agenda in the country at the moment.

"Although it is assumed, for obvious reasons, that I will talk about the transporters' strike, I am not going to talk about it, but about something that seems even more worrying to me," he said.

Petro said he is allowed to disclose the information because the country does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.​​​​​​​