Italy’s spy thriller took a decidedly mundane turn Thursday with indications that the Italian Navy captain accused of passing classified documents to Russia was desperate for extra money to pay his mortgage and support his four children.
Walter Biot, an Italian Navy frigate captain most recently assigned to a policy position at the Defense Ministry, was being held at Rome’s Regina Coeli prison. During a preliminary interrogation Thursday, he exercised his right to not answer prosecutors’ questions or make a statement, Italian news reports said.
Biot was arrested on espionage charges Tuesday after he was allegedly caught passing a pen drive of classified documents, including some on NATO operations, to a Russian Embassy official in exchange for 5,000 euros ($5,900). He had been trailed for months by Italian intelligence officials.