Transparency & accountability

Investigations Open into Possible Spying in Chamber of Deputies

01/24/12– Accusations of illegal spying and tapping of public administration buildings have been reported in the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) this past week. Submitted to the Deputy Attorney of Specialized Investigations of Federal Crimes (Subprocuraduría de Investigación Especializada en Delitos Federales, SIEDF), the report claimed that a listening device was discovered in the San Lázaro legislative chambers in the nation’s capital of Mexico City (Distrito Federal). Authorities in the Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR) immediately began an investigation into the matter.

According to the President of the Board of Directives (Mesa Directiva), Guadelupe Acosta Naranjo, spying has become a generalized practice in the region, despite its illegality, and as such the investigation is not being made into one particular office or another, but as a wide reaching investigation. The Chamber of Deputies has announced that it is likely that all deputies and members of parliament have been possibly spied upon and vulnerable in this case. Up until this point, evidence of spying has only been confirmed in the Board of Directives office and the Board of Political Coordination office (Junta Coordinación Política), but not yet proven in the Chamber.

According to El Universal, Acosta has stated in an official statement that “The Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (Partido Verde Ecologista de México, PVEM) is in favor of legality and respect for the personal and public life of members of the LXI Legislature. It reiterates its condemnation for not only political espionage, but all types of espionage of any person, companies or any institution, of which must be punished in all severity.” The federal penal code lists spying as a serious offence, giving between 6 to 12 years in prison and a 300 to 600 day salary fine for all guilty parties.

Sources:

“Abre PGR Indagatoria por Espionaje en San Lázaro.” El Proceso. January 24, 2012.

RCR. “PRG Indaga Caso de Espionaje en San Lázaro.” El Universal. January 24, 2012.

VAAS. “Apoya PVEM Denunica por Presunto Espionaje.” El Universal. January 24, 2012.

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