Martinelli snoop bosses facing charges

FORRMER Panama Security Council members AlejandrocAlejandro Garúz, and Gustavo Pérez will be charged with violations related to the illegal interception of phone calls and electronic communications, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday, Jan 12

It said there is sufficient evidence that proves that private phone calls of politicians and others were intercepted during the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014).

The investigation is being headed by prosecutor Marcelino Aguilar.
The charges stem from a complaint filed by current Security Council Chairman Rolando López Pérez, who denounced the disappearance of $13.4 million worth of surveillance equipment purchased by the government in 2010 from an Israeli contractor. The purchase was made with money from the Social Investment Fund.
The homes of Garúz and Pérez were searched Sunday and the men were brought in for questioning in the Department of Judicial Investigation, headquarters in Ancón on Monday
Apart from Garúz and Pérez, two other people are linked to the case, also former members of the Security Council reports La Prensa.
Aguilar said valuable information about the case was found on a laptop belonging to the National Security Council. reports La Prensa.
“The information had been deleted, but an expert managed to recover e-mails, messages and ambient audio belonging to a group of people,” said the prosecutor. “It has shown the direct involvement of former officials of the National Security Council, who at one point left traces of their actions.”
The prosecutor said that a forensic audit has proven that the equipment could be used to monitor electronic messages and cell phones, and could also access information stored on t phones. It could also track the movements of certain kinds of phones.
Personal communications can only be monitored with prior authorization from the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court.