Nine former officials from the administration of Colombia’s former president Ivan Duque have denied that his government purchased the Israeli spyware Pegasus. The former officials said in a public statement that “there are no records in the SECOP [Public Procurement Electronic System], nor in classified expenditures” and that the National Police Intelligence Directorate also has no trace of the controversial spy software.
Guillermo Botero and Diego Molano, two of the three defense ministers who were in post during Duque’s 2018 – 2022 presidency, are amongst the letter’s signatories. The third defense minister, Carlos Holmes, passed away in January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former government officials deny purchase of Pegasus software in Colombia
Former officials and military leaders from the Duque administration commented on the alleged Pegasus purchase on Wednesday, September 25, in the latest episode in the growing spyware scandal. “The Colombian government never ordered the acquisition of the software,” they stated in a signed communique, which asserted that there are no records of the software ever having been purchased. “The instruction for all entities was clear: strictly follow public procurement guidelines, ensuring transparency in the use of public resources,” it continued.
The signatories, who include most of the top military officials who served under Duque’s government, say that the former president did not participate in any process of acquiring state goods and services. They refuted accusations made three weeks ago by current President Gustavo Petro, who publicly disclosed the alleged purchase of Pegasus in 2021 for US$11 million.
A ruling party senator recently filed a criminal complaint against former President Duque. He accused the former head of state of circumventing public procurement regulations and engaging in money laundering, after it was claimed that Colombia made the payment irregularly through an Israeli bank.
Former Duque officials say Petro’s Pegasus accusations are unfounded
The former Duque officials also assert that there is not a single piece of evidence to corroborate the serious allegations made by President Petro. Their communique states that political and administrative officials “always acted under strict adherence to legality in safeguarding the country’s security.”
The officials also claim that during Duque’s presidency, the government cooperated with other countries to combat transnational crime. “We reaffirm our commitment to transparency, legality, and integrity in every one of our decisions and actions while we served the country,” the document said.
It also stated that during his term, former President Duque gave “clear and explicit” instructions to all officials to act in strict compliance with Colombia’s law and Constitution.
The Pegasus scandal and its consequences
Beyond the political debate and controversy between the current government and previous government, President Petro’s disclosure of alleged confidential information on the supposed Pegasus purchase has led to Colombia’s temporary suspension from the Egmont Group. This means the country has been officially excluded from the international body that coordinates efforts to combat corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering globally.
Colombia was suspended as a member, according to an Egmont Group statement, because it “failed to meet the standards necessary to ensure the independence of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) from any other entity, in this case, the Colombian Presidency.”
As political uproar surrounding the Pegasus scandal continues in Colombia, and the full extent of the international fallout remains to be seen, Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation to determine the veracity of Petro’s claims. Specifically, it is investigating whether Pegasus was purchased, how the procurement process was conducted, whether money laundering occurred, and ultimately, whether the software was used to spy on political opponents and journalists in the country.
Related: Petro Unveils New Evidence in Colombia’s Pegasus Spying Case, Targets NSO Officials
See all the latest news from Colombia and the world at ColombiaOne.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow Colombia One on Google News, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and subscribe here to our newsletter.