A new court filing in New York accuses a jailed Israeli private eye of hiring Indian hackers to spy in business disputes.
Independent journalist Scott Steadman is appealing to a New York Court to subpoena evidence from Israeli private detective named Aviram Azari. He hopes to use the subpoenaed information to defend himself against a defamation lawsuit in Britain.
Israeli private spy Azari is presently incarcerated after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit hacking and aggravated identity theft in another case in which he was accused of targeting defunct German financial technology company Wirecard AG.
Journalist Steadman is being sued in Britain by British-Israeli security consultant Walter Soriano. Steadman had asserted in a written piece that Soriano worked as a middle man between wealthy Russians and surveillance firms. Soriano sued for defamation over the article.
Now Steadman says that to defend his journalism in the defamation case in Britain, he would like a New York court to subpoena Azari’s records, so he may establish Azari collaborated with Steadman on such surveillance projects, as numerous private sources have assured him.
Steadman asserts that his sources told him Azari hired teams of Indian hackers to spy on Austrian businessmen for Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska’s spokeswoman denies all allegations, calling them blatantly untrue.
Soriano’s lawyer Shlomo Rechtschaffen calls Stedman’s claims “false and unfounded” noting the reporter “has no evidence” that Soriano and Azari worked together.
Stedman’s lawyer told the Court, “multiple confidential sources” said that Azari “worked closely with Soriano for years” and so Azari’s testimony and documents could “corroborate the truth of Forensic News’ reporting.”
Stedman has said his sources gave him “very strong reason to believe that Mr. Azari worked with Mr. Soriano on cyber-related projects for multiple Russian oligarchs and other billionaires.”
Reuters had reported Azari was accused of hiring Indian hacking firm BellTroX on behalf of powerful clients to spy on their adversaries.
The filing brings to light the way the big players use international private sector intelligence and surveillance operations to further their business interests from behind the scenes. One can see the advantages they would have over regular investors were they to apply this strategy to investing. They would know detailed information, while regular investors would be left trying to read the tea leaves to predict what various investments might or might not do.
