2023-06-15 19:33:08
New aspect in the Qatargate affair? Spyware has been discovered in some phones of Belgian police and magistrates, reveals RTBF THURSDAY. The exact number of affected devices is not yet known, indicates the Belgian media, but that of the investigating judge in charge of the corruption case at the European Parliament, Michel Claise, would appear on the list.
It was following suspicions of espionage that several devices, of prosecutors, examining magistrates, police officers or even members of the justice personnel, were entrusted to the federal police officers of the Computer crime unit (FCCU), specialized in the cybercriminality. After several analyses, traces of spyware were found on some phones.
Others could be compromised since this type of software is particularly difficult to detect and can leave few traces on the targeted phones, recalls the Belgian media.
A link with Qatargate?
The model of the spyware was not specified. Pegasus is among the best-known malware, it had been used by governments of the European Union to spy on European personalities, politicians, journalists and elected officials. Morocco was also suspected of having used it extensively in the Qatargate affair, this corruption scandal in the European Parliament involving Qatar and Morocco revealed at the end of 2022 by the Belgian daily The evening and the Flemish magazine Knack.
This is why some interlocutors interviewed by RTBF are cautiously considering a possible link with this affair. Nevertheless, some traces of infection would be “prior to the outbreak” of this scandal, which casts doubt on the hypothesis of espionage of the Belgian services in the context of this affair. “While some people may have been spied on because they are involved in this particular investigation, others may have been targeted because they are at all times high value targets for a hostile organization,” writes the Belgian media.
European resolution to regulate spyware
Coincidence or not, RTBF’s revelations come as MEPs voted on a resolution calling for strict rules to be put in place to prevent the illegal use of spyware, according to AFP. They want them to be authorized only in exceptional cases, for a predefined purpose and for a limited period. They also call for the establishment of independent monitoring and propose the creation of a European technological laboratory to support research and surveys.
“Spyware can be effective in fighting crime, but when misused by governments it poses a huge risk to the rule of law and fundamental rights,” said the President of the PEGA Committee, Jeroen Lenaers (EPP). Targeted recommendations have also been sent to Hungary, Poland, Greece, Spain and Cyprus following suspicions of misuse of this software.
#Belgium #spyware #phones #police #magistrates