BELGIUM: Belgium charges French utilities company Suez with industrial espionage

Criminal prosecutors in Belgium have charged French utility company Suez and five individuals with industrial espionage against Belgian firm Electrabel in 2004. "The prosecutors have asked for Suez and five individuals to be referred to the criminal court. They are charged with computer hacking and attempt of interception of private communication," said Brussels Deputy Prosecutor Wenke Roggen on Friday (August 18). The company and two of the individuals were also charged with incitement to commit hacking. "It's about facts going back to February 2004 when an Electrabel employee noticed that somebody had been working on his computer. From the enquiry, it appeared that something which is called a sneak had been put on his computer which enables someone else to intercept what was typed. A legal procedure was started and Suez and five individuals were then charged by the magistrate," said Roggen. The prosecutor said that in February 2004 an Electrabel employee noticed that somebody had been working on his computer and subsequent enquiries revealed a 'sneak' in the equipment -- a way for an outsider to check what has ben written. The charges could bring jail terms ranging from six months to five years and fines of up to 200,000 euros ($257,000) each. Roggen declined to name the individuals involved, but said that of the two facing the incitement charge, one had been an employee of Suez and one of Electrabel, while the other three were not working for either. A Suez spokeswoman said the company would not comment while the case was ongoing. Suez bought out minority shareholders in Electrabel last year and has previously said it carried out an exercise to test the security of IT systems at the Belgian firm. Suez was a majority owner of Electrabel at the time, but Roggen said prosecutors still thought that the actions involved could constitute a crime. Belgian media have dubbed the case 'Electragate'. The charges will be reviewed by a legal council in September or October to determine whether a criminal case should begin, Roggen said. Earlier this year the French authorities announced plans to merge Suez with state-owned Gaz de France (GdF), amid speculation that PAris was seeking to head off a rival offer from Italy's Enel. The European Commission will soon detail its objections to the merger between Suez and GdF on competition grounds, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday. Also on Friday, Le Parisien newspaper reported that France was considering proposing to Italy a tie-up between airlines Air France-KLM and Alitalia, in exchange for Italy's Enel renouncing any intention to bid for Suez.

ITN Source | August 19, 2006

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