Former security bosses get 10-years for disappeared spyware

Gustavo Pérez and Giacomo Tamburrelli have been sentenced to 120 months in prison for the loss of one of the Pegasus puncturing machines used by the National Security Council (CSN) in the government of Ricardo Martinelli (to spy on businessmen, magistrates, journalists, and opposition politicians.

The first judge to liquidate criminal cases, Agueda Rentería, also disqualified them from exercising public functions for the same term, once the prison sentence for embezzlement has been completed.

Although the ruling was adopted on March 10, it was communicated by edict on June 29, in order to notify all parties.

The missing machine was acquired in 2012 from the Israeli company MLM Protection, for $13 million, managed through the Social Assistance Directorate (DAS) , then directed by Tamburrelli. At that time, the director of the CSN was Pérez. It is unknown what happened to the team as of July 1, 2014, when Martinelli left the Presidency lic.

In this case, there are two people on the run: former CSN agents, Ronny Rodríguez and William Pittí, indicated by various witnesses as the officials in charge of operating the equipment from the CSN. Both were declared in absentia and for them the terms of the prescription of the criminal action were suspended, waiting for them to be located and prosecuted.

Pérez already has a 50-month prison sentence, recently confirmed by the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, for the interception of telecommunications without judicial authorization. Alejandro Garuz, another director of the CSN in the Martinelli government, was also sentenced for this case.

For political espionage in his government, Martinelli was acquitted.