Banker spies on accounts of 3500 clients in Italy, including Prime Minister Meloni and military officers

rome - An Italian banker secretly spied on the bank accounts of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, her sister Arianna, ex-husband Andrea Giambruno, and several ministers. The case was uncovered by a bank customer in August.

An Italian banker has been caught secretly spying on the bank accounts of the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, her sister Arianna, key figures in the premier's political party, and several ministers. The case came to light in August when a customer of Banca Intesa in Bitonto, southern Italy, discovered the espionage. An employee of the bank has been fired and faces potential prison time for the breach. The Italian newspaper Domani broke the story on Thursday.

Between February 21, 2022, and April 24, 2024, the banker allegedly spied on bank accounts nearly 7000 times, affecting around 3500 clients. He not only snooped on the accounts of Prime Minister Meloni, her family, and ministers but also those of military officers, police chiefs, prosecutors fighting the mafia, athletes, and business people. The Italian Prime Minister responded in an ironic manner. 'Bring us the daily report,' she wrote on her Facebook page with a picture of her and her sister.

Bitonto is located in the province of Bari. While organized crime investigations have frequently occurred in the area, local media suggests this case is unrelated. There is growing concern in Italy over IT system security. Last week, Italian police arrested a 24-year-old Italian for allegedly hacking the Ministry of Justice in Rome. The suspect reportedly breached the ministry's computer system multiple times and even blocked access.