Poland charges former intelligence chiefs over Pegasus spyware use

Polish prosecutors have charged two former intelligence chiefs over their use of Pegasus spyware, saying the software was deployed without the required IT security accreditation and may have exposed classified operations.

The officials identified by prosecutors were Piotr P, former head of the ABW internal security agency, and Maciej Materka, former head of military counterintelligence service SKW. Both deny wrongdoing, and each could face up to three years in prison if convicted.

Materka said operational actions during his tenure were conducted under court approvals required by law. The case is part of broader legal action in Poland over Pegasus, including separate charges against former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro.

Pegasus, developed by Israel's NSO Group for government clients, can secretly infiltrate phones and access data, communications, location, microphones and cameras.