Czech counter-intelligence head confirms leak of secret data

Prague- Czech counter-intelligence (BIS) head Jiri Lang has confirmed that secret data leaked from the BIS's financial department some time ago and said they were leaked by a former BIS employee, Jeronym Tejc, chairman of the lower house commission for BIS supervision, said today.

The commission members discussed the alleged information leak with Lang this morning.

Tejc (opposition Social Democrats, CSSD) and Jan Klas (ruling Civic Democrats, ODS), who heads the lower house's sub-committee for intelligence services, previously said that if secret information had really leaked from the BIS, Lang should consider resigning as BIS director.

Lang's future now largely depends on the stand of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (ODS) who is to visit the BIS watchdog commission's meeting next week.

The BIS is subordinate to the prime minister.

According to the Internet server Aktualne.cz, the scandal surfaced when the BIS monitored a meeting of Karel Randak, former head of the civilian intelligence service (UZSI), a few weeks ago.

Participants in the meeting then noticed the BIS officers' presence and Randak complained about it to Ivo Schwarz, his successor as UZSI director.

Lang subsequently told politicians that the [Randak-monitoring] operation was connected with a serious leak of information from the BIS.

The information reportedly leaked from the BIS more than two years ago but the BIS has withheld this from politicians.

The BIS, or Czech civilian counter-intelligence service, operates on Czech territory with the aim to gather information on terrorism, extremism, illegal trade in weapons and also on the operation of foreign intelligence services in the Czech Republic.

From: http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/index_view.php?id=277145