Reuters reports that Ecuador has claimed that a hidden microphone was found in its London embassy.
[Final update]
Estelle Shirbon of Reuters reports that Ecuador has claimed that a hidden microphone was found in its London embassy.
[Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Minister] Ricardo Patino said the microphone was found inside the office of the Ecuadorean ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ana Alban, at the time of a visit to the embassy by Patino to meet with Assange on June 16.
Update 1,
Reuters (The Guardian):
Ecuador ...will disclose on Wednesday who controls the device, its foreign minister
...
The Foreign Office in London declined to comment immediately on the allegation and David Cameron's spokesman said he did not comment on security issues.said.
Update 2,
France 24:
Patino said he was not insinuating that the bug was linked to the saga surrounding fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, who has applied for asylum in Ecuador.
Update 3,
RT:
The device itself had been discovered almost three weeks ago on June 16 ...
Update 4: Where was the bug found?
The Age says:
Mr Patino said the listening device had been found in the office of newly appointed ambassador Juan Falconi Puig...
Presumably Puig's office was the same as Ana Alban's?
Comment1: As of 10:30 AM (Eastern), the BBC news page is absolutely and strangely silent on this story. Are they going to block this from the evening news hole?
Update 5, The Guardian:
Ecuadorian ambassador to the UK Ana Alban says on Wednesday it is not known who planted the microphone, which is being examined by bugging experts.
Comment2: As of 12 noon, Eastern, Telesur has not referenced this story. Likewise, the Cuban state media, Granma.
Final update: Gonzalo Solano of AP reports that the bug was probably installed by The Surveillance Group Limited, a major surveillance firm in the UK. Apparently it was activated by a call, either from a landline or cell phone, and used a SIM card. The device was stashed in an electrical outlet.