Giulio and Francesca Maria
Occhionero, siblings arrested in January on suspicion of
carrying out cyber spying of politicians and VIPs, managed to
stole over 3.5 million emails and snooped on 6,000 people from
2004 onwards, according to a new investigation.
The pair are already on trial for large-scale espionage but
prosecutors now also looking into allegations of political
espionage, sources said.
The figures were revealed at a preliminary hearing on
Tuesday.
Specialists form the CNAIPIC group managed to reconstruct the
network the Occhioneros created on at least nine computers via
American servers thanks to the help of the FBI.
Prosecutors say nuclear engineer Giulio Occhionero and his
sister Francesca Maria were part of a cyber-espionage ring that
for years collected sensitive data on politicians, public
institutions and administrations, including ex-premiers Matteo
Renzi and Mario Monti and European Central Bank President Mario
Draghi.
Computers used by people working for Cardinal Gianfranco
Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, were
compromised as part of the hacking too.
The computers were allegedly hacked with a malware called
'Eyepyramid'.
Giulio Occhionero was the venerable master of the Paolo
Ungari Masonic lodge.
Investigators believe that the espionage was not an isolated
initiative by the arrested pair, saying they have found links to
the so-called P4 power-seeking cliche and to wheeler-dealer
Luigi Bisignani.
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