Intelligence leaks probed

The Citizens’ Protection Ministry is examining a serious breach of security at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), it emerged yesterday, after top-secret documents and information on agents found their way into the public domain. The ministry said that a probe has been launched into how sensitive data about some of the service’s employees were published on the Internet and why a private printing company was given the contract to print ballot papers for the election of the agency’s union members when such a service was available in-house. There is also an investigation under way into how sensitive documents were found in the illegal possession of an NIS employee. The ministry revealed that financial crimes squad is also looking into the allegedly overpriced purchase of electronic equipment by the service. The ministry stressed these were isolated incidents and that most NIS employees carry out the duties they have been assigned.