'Italy rocked by espionage scandal in which Mossad implicated':
"An internal espionage scandal is rocking Italy after a private investigation firm made up of current and former senior members of the security services was alleged to have stolen personal information on politicians, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and public figures, to be used for extortion.
Israel's Mossad was alleged to have been involved in deals with the Milan-based investigative firm.
At least four people are under arrest and dozens more under investigation. Cyber security experts and hackers may have breached the servers of Italy's interior ministry, investigators said.
Meloni described the alleged plot as "unacceptable" and "a threat to democracy." Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto demanded an urgent parliamentary probe, out of concern that state secrets may have been compromised. He said the personal information that was exposed is the tip of the iceberg."
Daniel Bettini
