Colombia's attorney general on Thursday opened an investigation into the alleged purchase and illegal use of Israeli-made Pegasus spy software, Reuters reported.
The decision followed a televised broadcast from President Gustavo Petro, who said a unit in the country's national police bought the software off the books using $11 million in cash.
Pegasus spyware, which was built by Israeli firm NSO, has been found in the past to have been used to hack into the phones of civil society, political opposition and journalists. It was found on the phones of various people globally, including human rights defenders, noted Reuters.
"The investigation seeks to establish, among other aspects, whether the negotiation between (police unit) DIPOL and NSO was finalized and, if the purchase was made, where did the money come from and what the transfer of cash Colombia to Israel involved," the statement from Colombia’s attorney general said.
NSO has come under fire over the Pegasus spyware. In one case, the Finnish foreign ministry said it had detected Pegasus in several phones used by its diplomats abroad.
The Finnish announcement followed a report in The New York Times which said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worked to ensure that Saudi Arabia would be able to use the Pegasus software, around the time that the Abraham Accords were signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In 2022, Spain launched an investigation after the Spanish government said the spyware had been used against top politicians. The probe was shelved a year later over what was described as a "complete" lack of cooperation from Israel.
The US Commerce Department has blacklisted NSO Group, prohibiting it from using American technology in its operations.
Apple has sued the Israeli firm, seeking a permanent injunction to ban NSO Group from using Apple software, services, or devices.