EP’s PEGA Committee continues contacts in Cyprus over possible spyware technologies exports

The European Parliament’s committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware, PEGA, continues contacts in Cyprus concerning practices regarding the possible export of surveillance technologies from South Cyprus, as well as the connections between companies and persons in Greece.

The fact-finding mission seeks to establish a link to Israel’s Pegasus spyware, used across the continent in a ground-shaking surveillance scandal. It is estimated that over 50,000 telephone numbers, mainly journalists, activists, and politicians, are being monitored through the software. The meetings focus on investigating accusations that Predator has been used against journalists and politicians in Greece, while also looking into potential connections with Cyprus. Today , the delegation will have a joint meeting with Greek Cypriot Minister for Energy, Commerce and Industry, Natasa Pilides, and with Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos, which will be held at the Ministry of Energy. The delegation will then meet with Attorney General George Savvides at his office in Nicosia.They will also meet with journalists Fanis Makrides and Makarios Droushiotis. At noon, the MEPs will meet at the House of Representatives with a delegation of members from the parliamentary committee on institutions, chaired by MP Demetris Demetriou, and the parliamentary committee on legal affairs, chaired by MP Nicos Tornaritis. The delegation will then depart from Athens where they are expected to arrive late in the afternoon. The MEPs participating in the mission include committee chair Jeroen Lenaers (EPP, Netherlands), rapporteur Sophia in ‘t Veld (Renew, Netherlands), Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (EPP, Spain) and Elissavet Vozemberg – Vrionidi (EPP, Greece).

In Athens the delegation will meet with journalists that covered the issue extensively. On Thursday, the delegation will meet with Greek Minister of State George Gerapetritis as well as with representatives of the Hellenic Parliament’s former investigative committee, the Public Prosecutor’s office and the Hellenic Police. The delegation will also meet with politicians and journalists that were victims of surveillance. On Friday, the MEPs will also meet with Greece’s Authority for Communication Security and Privacy, as well as representatives of NGOs and human rights organisations.

Pegasus is linked to South Cyprus’ Israeli spy van case reported in 2019. In August, AKEL MEP George Georgiou called on the European Parliament to put Cyprus under the microscope and called for an on-site investigation concerning the eavesdropping scandal raging in Greece. Georgiou believes there is a possible link between the ‘spy van’ affair and Greece. The company which created the surveillance software in Greece was founded by the former Israeli spy Tal Dilian, the main suspect in the Cyprus black van case. Headed by the former Israeli intelligence agent, WiSpear, a company specialised in providing end-to-end WiFi interception and security solutions, was reportedly the owner of the black van. Last year, the data protection watchdog imposed an administrative fine of €925,000 on WiSpear for GDPR violations. The Commissioner for the Protection of Personal Data said WiSpear’s van collected multiple devices’ Media Access Control (MAC) addresses and International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). In 2019, Cyprus police launched an investigation into the import of meteorological equipment that later emerged as spyware used to intercept information and breaches of sensitive personal data. A state-of-the-art spy van capable of hacking any mobile phone was impounded in Larnaca by police during an investigation. Charges against Dilian and two other defendants were dropped