Ericsson Spy Trial Begins in Stockholm
By KARL RITTER
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — A former LM Ericsson engineer charged with espionage gave Russian intelligence agents 2,700 internal company documents in exchange for money, jeopardizing Sweden’s national security, prosecutors said as his trial began Wednesday.
Afshin Bavand, 46, received tens of thousands of dollars from Russian agents in return for computer files containing secret information about Ericsson’s telecommunications technology and its joint cell phone venture with Sony Corp. (SNE), prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand said.
“The release of this information to a foreign power can pose harm” to national security, Lindstrand said after opening arguments. He would not elaborate.
Ericsson, a wireless equipment manufacturer, also makes radar systems for defense programs worldwide, including for the JAS-39 Gripen fighter planes made by Sweden’s Saab and Britain’s BAE Systems.
Bavand, who was laid off in August 2001, was charged with gross espionage and industrial espionage. Two former co-workers, Mansour Rokkgireh, 44, and Alireza Rafiei Bejarkenari, 40, were charged with complicity in industrial espionage, for allegedly gathering the information for Bavand.
If convicted, Bavand faces up to life in prison, while Rokkgireh and Bejarkenari could face up to six years. All three pleaded innocent.
Defense lawyer Ola Salomonsson said Bavand collected the information as background for several business ideas he had after being laid off. He met with the Russians to talk about his ideas, not to give them Ericsson secrets.
“He didn’t know they were agents,” Salomonsson said. “That was, to say the least, a surprise for him.”
Bavand was arrested Nov. 5 during a meeting with one of the alleged intelligence agents.
“He was apprehended before he could hand over a CD-ROM disk with information from Ericsson,” Lindstrand said, adding that the Russian – who wasn’t arrested because of diplomatic immunity – had $4,000 in cash believed to be Bavand’s payment.
Rokkgireh and Bejarkenari were arrested about the same time and police seized information stored on their computers. Bejarkenari denied giving information to Bavand, while Rokkgireh acknowledged he sent some documents, but said he didn’t know that Bavand had been laid off or was passing the material on.
Lindstrand said Bavand and the Russian met three times previously and after each meeting Bavand deposited money into his bank account. He also said Bavand had been in contact with another Russian diplomat and may have received tens of thousands of dollars in payments for confidential Ericsson documents.
Sweden expelled the two Russian diplomats in November. In an apparent retaliation, Russia expelled two Swedish diplomats in December.
Ericsson spokesman Henry Stenson said the information leak was a serious security breach at the company, but caused only limited damage because “it was stopped in time.” Stenson wouldn’t say what the documents were, referring questions to prosecutors.
After opening arguments, the court closed the hearing to the public. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
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