Police have found a bugging device in the office of a German MP, who is involved in investigations of the doings of the local federal intelligence.
Wolfgang Neskovic is an independent MP, who was a member of the Supreme Court before he was elected for parliament.
The commission that deals with the intelligence, and that Neskovic is a part of, will investigate the bugging case. An emergency meeting of the commission will be held next week. (more)
UPDATE...
"The German Parliament said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that after the devices were examined by the Federal Office for Security and Information Technology, "with the microphones alone, surveying, recording or forwarding the spoken word is not possible."
The devices were covered by a layer of dust that had settled atop of the lamp, pointing to the fact that the microphones had not been used for a long time."
Old spycraft tricks...
- Blow a layer of dust over an eavesdropping installation. Alters the perceived time-frame of the attack, if discovered.
- Use Hollywood special-effects cobwebs. Spray them over the opening to an installation to deter inspection.
The key question... "Why were microphones there in the first place?"
~ Kevin
Inquiry committee head Sigfried Kauder, a senior lawmaker of Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union, said in a statement Tuesday that all members of the board have been advised to check their offices for similar devices. (more)
Now, there is some sage advice :)
UPDATE 1/26/07 (the story changes) ...officials in Berlin said the alleged bug found in the office of Wolfgang Neskovic, a leftist former judge who has demanded Steinmeier's resignation, was not a functioning one and its placement was too inept to have been the work of intelligence professionals.
The microphone of a type freely on sale was attached to a ceiling lamp and was visible, security officials said. (more)
