{UAH} Pojimm/WBK: Govt 'bugged & spies' on parliament, 21 hotels - report
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Govt 'bugged & spies' on parliament, 21 hotels
The army's Intelligence wing, the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) bugged the Parliament building, 21 hotels and various homes in up-scale suburbs of the city to spy on opposition politicians, according to a new report.
The report, released by a UK non-profit organization, Privacy International shows that CMI installed spying malware for tapping phone conversations, emails and chats on devices like phones and laptops in an operation known as Fungua Macho (loosely translated from Swahili 'open your eyes')
The malware more commonly known as FinFisher software was installed in the hotels and infected on different laptops and phones through open wi-fi (wireless) networks adds the report. The report says intelligence bribed the politicians' close associates so as to get access to their phones and computers.
The software is capable of turning on a phone's microphone with or without an incoming or outgoing call without the owner's knowledge for the tappers to listen in on the sounds in the surroundings. It is also capable of capturing keyboard strokes (typings), passwords, record computer activity including turning on the computer's camera/microphone - all without the user's knowledge.
Among the 21 hotels named in the report, that are being spied on, is the Serena Hotel, where the Forum for Democratic Change launched its manifesto, Hotel Africana, where The Democratic Alliance formed its protocol, Colline Hotel in Mukono, where Democratic Party held its retreat and Protea Hotel, where civil society launched their free and fair elections campaign.
Other hotels allegedly bugged include Imperial Royale, Emin Pasha, Grand Imperial, Triangle, Golf Course, Protea, Mamba Point, Speke Resort Munyonyo, Cassia Lodge, Travellers Inn, Imperial Resort Beach, Golf View Inn, Entebbe Flight Motel, Brovad, Equatorial among others.
In the alleged security briefing to President Museveni dated 20 January 2012, labeled secret, the Director of Technical Intelligence captured as 'Michael Bbosa' says that the agency had through overt and covert operations penetrated hotel systems. He boasted that the software was being used by other African governments of Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Zimbabwe.
The document profiles hotels as centres where people with 'depraved plans' meet and also centres where foreign journalists meet their sources of information. The document further says most of the hotel management were aware of of the surveillance installations. The document also goes ahead to state that CMI was looking to weed out people who were exposing and leaking information to journalists and opposition politicians from within their own networks.
In a response to the accusations, Serena and Speke Resort hotels have denied knowledge of the tapping.
URN broke the story of tapping software that was being acquired by the government to monitor opposition figures and social media critics. Government vehemently denied the story saying that they did not have the capacity required to tap communications.
The report further says that upscale residential neighbourhoods like Kololo, Lubowa estate, Kesington housing estate were also infected with fake Access Points. Parliament, Police, CMI and other intelligence buildings were also bugged according to the document due to "leakages from within the state apparatus"
The government controlled Uganda Media Centre Spokesperson Ofwono Opondo says that the government does not need to conduct surveillance on opposition politicians given that they enjoy mass support. His Deputy Shaban Bantariza asked for evidence to indicate that the government carried out the operation Fungua Macho.
Bantariza told the media that "Our monitoring centre is specific to social media and to ensure rights and privacy is protected there".
He said government had enough human intelligence and was well aware of the activities of the opposition which the report said were the main targets of the surveillance. He added that besides the incumbent President Museveni still enjoys massive support and so it would be a "waste of money" to spy on opposition politicians.
Bantariza accused the BBC that partnered with Privacy International to compile the report 'For God and My President: State Surveillance In Uganda' of failing to crosscheck with government officials to authenticate the alleged leaked security document that confirms the existence and success of Fungua Macho in gathering intelligence especially before the 2011 elections and through the walk-to-work street protests.
"The contents of the operation Fungua Macho are completely fallacious and unknown to us. We find it unfortunate that BBC chose to partner with Privacy International to produce this wrong report", Bantariza said.
Gamma Group from UK, the alleged makers of the surveillance technology acknowledged its existence but could not confirm nor deny selling it to Uganda. But they said they sell the software in the hope that governments don't abuse it.
Kizza Besigye, one of the opposition politicians believed to have been tapped, said developed countries have a duty to control the sell of such surveillance software to certain governments as it can be abused like they do with weapons.
"Am sure the UK knows that Uganda is under dictatorship, they should put controls on sale of surveillance technology", Besigye said.
"Access to spying technologies by unaccountable governments should be controlled like they do with weapons. Some weapons can't be sold to some governments. They can be dangerous not only to their people but to the international society"
Besigye said there was no need for government to "waste money on surveillance spying because there is nothing FDC is doing that I can do without the full glare of the media". He also maintained that he will continue with his "path of defiance not compliance" and is ready to see what will prevail if the police is to also continue with its path [of arrests].
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