Media reports Polish prosecutor spying on political rivals
(MENAFN) In a startling revelation, Polish news outlet Wyborcza reported on Monday that Poland's National Prosecutor's Office allegedly employed the Hermes spyware to conduct surveillance on Political opponents during the tenure of the previous government. The article details that in the spring of 2021, the Prosecutor's Office acquired the Hermes spy system for a sum of PLN 15 million (over USD3.5 million).
According to Wyborcza, the surveillance spyware, attributed to the illegal monitoring of politicians, officials, judges, and prosecutors perceived as disloyal to the government led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski's conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed the country from 2015 to 2023. The report suggests that the current leadership of the prosecutor's office stumbled upon the use of the spyware accidentally when they received a bill for the periodic subscription to the Hermes system.
To facilitate the operation of the spying software, the prosecution allegedly engaged two former employees of the Polish Internal Security Agency, with one of them purportedly receiving compensation of 1,000 zlotys (USD250) per hour, as per the Wyborcza article. The spyware in question, Hermes, is claimed to be more technologically advanced than the Israeli-made Pegasus system, which Polish authorities were previously accused of using. Notably, Hermes has the capability to be discreetly installed on mobile phones and various other devices.
This revelation follows recent disclosures made by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who revealed the widespread use of the Pegasus software purchased from the Israeli NSO Group by the previous government. Tusk asserted that documents in his possession substantiate claims that the high-tech surveillance system was deployed to target a substantial list of political opponents.
The allegations of espionage using sophisticated spyware not only raise concerns about privacy and democratic principles but also cast a shadow on the ethical conduct of governmental agencies. As investigations unfold, the implications of these accusations may reverberate through the political landscape, prompting calls for transparency, accountability, and a reevaluation of surveillance practices within the Polish legal and political framework.
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