FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
David Rush, 49, a CIA official since 2009 and part of the Science and Technology Directorate, is at the center of a scandal that has rocked the US intelligence community. He is accused of creating a fake secret program to embezzle tens of millions of dollars worth of assets.
Rush worked in one of the agency's most sensitive sectors, related to the so-called Special Access Programs (SAP), highly classified programs where access is allowed only to people with special authorizations. According to the investigation, he used this very secret system to deceive the institution where he worked.
US authorities suspect that Rush created a fictitious SAP and, in his own name, requested and received 303 gold bars worth about $40 million, nearly $2 million in cash and about 30 luxury watches. These assets ended up in his Ashburn, Virginia, home, where the FBI found some of them during a search after his arrest.
Investigators are also examining the role of two of his colleagues, who allegedly assisted him in the procedures for transferring the assets. It is not yet clear whether they were conscious accomplices or victims of the fraud.
According to authorities, Rush claimed that the gold and other assets would be used for covert state operations. In reality, this turned out to be a fraud scheme.
As the investigation deepened, the FBI reviewed his professional history and uncovered a series of other frauds. Rush had falsified important elements of his biography, including academic degrees and military experience in the US Navy. He had also wrongfully received a $77,000 severance pay from the Navy.
For years he served as a volunteer firefighter in Ashburn and enjoyed a good reputation among his colleagues. Rush often told stories about his military career, claiming to have been a Navy fighter pilot and even part of the elite “Top Gun.” He recounted flying F-14s on missions from Afghanistan to Iraq and on one occasion being forced to eject from a plane.
Investigations revealed that none of these claims were true. Rush had not been a pilot and did not hold a flight license; during his military service he had dealt with equipment and logistics.
US media also report that Rush had a good relationship with US Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. According to The New York Times, Feinberg had supported his increased role on several projects, considering him a valuable employee. However, so far there is no evidence linking the senior Pentagon official to the alleged scheme.
The case remains in the early stages of investigation. The FBI is continuing its investigation to understand the full extent of Rush's activities, while the CIA faces tough questions about internal controls and how an official managed to exploit its most secret system for years. / Corriere della Sera
Lini një Përgjigje