Poland’s national prosecutor’s office has leveled charges against two former heads of the country’s intelligence services, Piotr Pogonowski and Maciej Materka, for their operational deployment of the Pegasus software, arguing their actions risked exposing classified information.
The prosecutor’s office said in an official statement that the accused men lacked the required security clearances to handle such software. They deployed Pegasus despite being cognizant of the potential to jeopardize agency activities and compromise classified and top-secret materials. Each now faces up to three years in prison for dereliction of duty. Prosecutors say both men have denied the allegations and declined to testify during interrogations.
In a social media post, Materka asserted his responsibility was to provide personnel with the necessary and best tools to perform their tasks. “All operational activities carried out under my leadership at the Military Counterintelligence Service were conducted exclusively on the basis of court orders and decisions as stipulated by law,” he stated, adding that he had served the Republic faithfully for 24 years.
The charges are part of a wider investigation into the use of Pegasus that has also ensnared other senior Polish officials. Former Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro, who served from 2015 to 2023, could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. He is accused of power abuse and other crimes, such as misappropriating funds intended to aid crime victims to purchase the Pegasus spyware, allegedly to surveil political opponents.