Steven N.
Contradicting Lajos Kósa’s statement yesterday, the Interior Ministry (BM) did not purchase the Israeli Pegasus spy software, and Interior Minister Sándor Pintér will launch an investigation into whether Justice Minister Judit Varga committed some type of crime, said Vice President Ágnes Vadai of the Democratic Coalition (DK) on ATV’s Egyenes Beszéd (Straight Talk) program.
Defense and Law Enforcement Committee Chair Kósa told the press on Thursday that the government, more precisely the BM, had bought the software. János Stummer, chair of the National Security Committee, said that although he could confirm what Kósa had said, they could each receive up to 3 years in jail for disclosing classified information.
Vadai told Egyenes Beszéd that at Pintér’s hearing yesterday, the minutes of which will be kept secret until 2050, it was not stated that the BM had bought the software, but she was not able to say who signed the contract on the Hungarian side.
Vadai also found it concerning that State Secretary Pál Völner had the power and responsibility to sign wiretapping permits instead of Justice Minister Judit Varga. She said that Pintér would investigate whether Varga committed an offense by delegating the task to the State Secretary.
According to Vadai’s interpretation of the National Security Act, the Minister of Justice does not have the right to permanently delegate this task. Duties such as these can only be delegated for a short period of time in the event of illness or absence.
The DK politician also pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Affairs (KKM) may also have had something to do with the acquisition of Pegasus, citing “information from many sources.” [Telex]
