Steven N.
The government has spied on over 100 people with the Pegasus surveillance software, according to Jobbik’s János Stummer, Chair of the National Security Committee in Parliament.
After the spy scandal broke into the public consciousness over the summer by the Direkt36 investigative reporting outfit, the government has been very tight-lipped about the subject. However, that changed on Thursday when Fidesz politician Lajos Kósa admitted to RTL Híradó that the Interior Ministry had purchased and used the software.
Speaking to the Partizán show on Sunday evening, Stummer told host Márton Gulyás that he thought Kósa’s admission had been a mistake. The Jobbik politician also stated that by mid-October he had already seen a framework contract showing that the state had indeed bought Pegasus.
The Jobbik politician reiterated that they are pushing for a fact-finding inquiry, because “until there is a change of government, this regime will not provide any meaningful answers [on the subject].” He also foresees a scenario in which “the Hungarian public will be able to learn more about it.”
Stummer also claimed that he would be contacting NSO, the Israeli manufacturer of Pegasus, on Monday.
