14 DAY TRIAL // Hacking Team, the Italian company that sold surveillance and hacking software to governments and other businesses, was almost bought by a Saudi company controlled by the Saudi Arabian government, as IDG reports.
The details of these failed negotiations were found in the 400GB batch of internal documents spilled online after the company was hacked by an unknown party this summer.
A change of Saudi government officials collapsed the deal
According to the documents, first negotiations started in late 2013, but the deal abruptly ended at the start of 2014, after Prince Bandar bin Sultan was removed from the leadership of the Saudi intelligence service.
The company slated to buy the Hacking Team was Safinvest, an investment group controlled by Wafic Said, a famous Syrian-born businessman living in the UK, also a very close friend of the Saudi royal family.
Internal emails show that Hacking Team CEO David Vincenzetti was seriously pondering this deal fearing the Wassenaar Arrangement, a geo-political pact which prevents companies from exporting technologies to dictatorial regimes, a pact which Italy eventually signed.
By selling his company to Safinvest, Vincenzetti would be able to relocate to Saudi Arabia, a country that did not only decline to participate in this agreement but was very close to being declared a repressive regime itself, and only close ties and military agreements with many Western states kept it from being so.
US ambassador to Italy also involved in the deal
Leaked documents also show that Ronald Spogli, the former US ambassador to Italy was also involved in the negotiations. Not only this, but Spogli also held a 10% stake into Innogest, an investment company which in turn held a 26% stake in Hacking Team.
Ironically, just a few days ago, Saudi Arabia, a country which many human rights protection organizations place at the top of the list when it comes to abusive states, has been recently appointed by the UN to head its Human Rights Council.