DOES BLACK CUBE INTERFERE IN POLITICS?

A clear question: does Black Cube, given its links to Israeli intelligence, ever act for governments? Are they spies for hire?

Last year, a study by the highly-regarded US news network NBC discovered evidence that Black Cube have been hired to covertly investigate senior staffers in the Former National government who had been in charge of the negotiations that resulted in the Iran nuclear deal. The NBC investigation was struggling to unearth who was the client who hired Black Cube to do this work. But it does not require a lot of imagination to work out who is against the Iran deal: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime minister, and Donald Trump.

In another case, in early 2016 two Israeli Black Cube employees, Ron Weiner and David Geclowicz, were arrested by Romanian police on suspicion of conducting a series of cyber-attacks on Romania?s chief anti-corruption prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi. Weiner and Geclowicz were tried and received suspended sentences ? but permitted to go back to Israel. Black Cube founder and chief executive, Dan Zorella gave a deposition to the court saying the business had been commissioned by a certain Daniel Dragomir, a former officer in Romania?s intelligence agency! The supposition is that Black Cube was hired by corrupt elements in the Romanian government fearful they might be exposed by Kovesi.

Black Cube in addition has developed strong links with the UK intelligence community. In line with the Financial Times, Black Cube has used a particular Michael Drury as a legal advisor in London. Drury is in fact the former chief legal advisor for GCHQ, the British signals intelligence agency. Put simply, Drury was responsible for giving GCHQ its legal fig leaf.

In accordance with Drury?s web page at BLC Solicitors (where he is now a partner): ?Michael?s practice is diverse? he’s got successfully represented senior Ministers and others in former Soviet Union states, defeating extradition claims? [and] representing individuals in regulatory proceedings brought by the FCA (in LIBOR and other matters); acting in criminal investigations by the SFO (including for corporates and individuals in bribery and corruption cases??

Eh? The former legal head of GCHQ has set up in practice defending Russian oligarchs and bankers being chased by the primary UK bank regulator (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office? I wonder what he does for Black Cube?

NEED FOR REGULATION

Intel activities such as for example Black Cube is ostensibly involved with (?legal? impersonation etc.) aren’t regulated in the UK. In 2013, Theresa May ? then Home Secretary ? announced she would introduce such legislation in the wake of the News of The World phone hacking scandal, but nothing more was heard about the matter. The Scottish government should reconsider the problem.