Paris, France:
The private equity firm that owns NSO, the Israeli spyware organization at the heart of the Pegasus scandal, is becoming liquidated, a supply close to the organization told AFP on Monday, confirming media reports.
London-based Novalpina Capital, which purchased the NSO Group in 2019, is becoming dissolved soon after a dispute in between its co-founders.
Its liquidation leaves the future ownership of NSO unclear, just as the organization is grappling with the fallout of a vast electronic espionage scandal.
Novalpina also owns the Estonian casino group Olympic Entertainment and French pharmaceutical organization X.O.
The Financial Times reported that Novalpina’s investors “have until August 6 to decide whether to liquidate the fund with a fire sale of its assets, or appoint a third party to take control of it”.
French organization every day Les Echos reported that Novalpina was becoming liquidated to place an finish to an “internal war” in between its founders.
But “the espionage scandal may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back”, it added.
The NSO Group has been at the centre of a storm this month soon after an international media investigation claimed its Pegasus computer software was used to spy on the phones of human rights activists, journalists and even heads of state.
NSO has denied any wrongdoing, labelling the allegations “false”.
It insists its computer software is intended for use only in fighting terrorism and other crimes.
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