|
|
 |
Japanese Spy Worked for Russian Military Intelligence
Reports came from Japan yesterday that a Russian military intelligence officer had recruited had recruited an employee of the Japanese government information service and received secret documents from him. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stated that he was stunned by the scandal in his own office. The Russian Embassy in Tokyo stated that the affair is the work of enemies of Russia.
Although charges have been made against Russian embassy and trade office workers in Japan before, this case is truly unprecedented. The 52-year-old alleged recruit works for the Japanese cabinet's Information Research Office, an intelligence service that lacks its own agents but reportedly receives massive amounts of information from the American CIA as well as from spy satellites. That information is used to produce secret reports for the Japanese prime minister. The agency is located beneath the ground of the prime ministers residential complex.
The accused spy worked in the administrative department of the intelligence office. He had been acquainted for several years with the second secretary of the Russian embassy, who allegedly works for the Main Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (Russian abbreviation GRU). They met in restaurants several times last year.
It was at these meetings that the transfer of secret information is said to have taken place. At the end of December the Tokyo Security Police conducted a search of the Information Research Office and confiscate the material that became of basis of the current accusation. The Japanese suspect has been questioned several times, but has not been arrested yet. Press reports claim that he has confessed to passing the secret information. Now investigators are trying to prove that he took money for the information. After that, the case will be transferred to the prosecutor. Sources say that may take place next week. The Russian embassy official has already left Japan.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Jan. 17, 2008
|
|
|
