Ex-agent held over illegal spy ring

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20920328-1702,00.html

From correspondents in Milan
December 13, 2006 05:03am

A FORMER Italian spy chief was arrested overnight on suspicion of involvement in an illegal espionage ring that prosecutors believe snooped on Italy's elite, including Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Marco Mancini, once the head of counter-espionage at Italy's SISMI military intelligence agency, already faces possible indictment on separate charges of helping the US Central Intelligence Agency kidnap a Muslim cleric in Milan.

Prosecutors suspect the illegal spy group was led by the former security chief at telecoms firm Telecom Italia, Giuliano Tavaroli. They believe it illegally gathered sensitive data from telephone records of leading Italian personalities.

Targets included Mr Prodi when he was European Commission president in 2001, as well as financier Emilio Gnutti and soccer player Bobo Vieri, the source said.

Mr Mancini's lawyers protested against his arrest, ordered by Judge Giuseppe Gennari to prevent evidence tampering. It was not clear what his suspected role was with the group.

Tavaroli, the main suspect, has been in prison since September as part of the same investigation.

....

Prosecutors believe a CIA-led team with help from Italian spies grabbed the cleric in the street, bundled him into a van and flew him to Egypt, where he says he was tortured.

Prosecutors want to indict Mr Mancini and his old boss, with 26 Americans, most of them believed to be CIA agents. Mr Mancini's lawyers said he refused to help the CIA.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. An illegal espionage ring!

Oh my. This is the same crew that came up with the yellowcake forgeries. Gee, I can't image who else is part of this illegal espionage ring? :sarcasm:

[htuttle]

2. Seems like P2 & Licio Gelli ought to be tied up in this somehow

Did they manage to get him back in prison again after he escaped? I don't recall...