Gallente Senatorial Aide Charged with Espionage

Aydoteaux - Early this morning, members of the Federal Intelligence Office's Special Department of Internal Investigations (also known as the Black Eagles) took Weilard Guillaud into custody pending charges of espionage. Guillaud, who served as Chief of Staff to Senator Julian Hevard, was apprehended at his home, though FIO personnel conducted a simultaneous raid of his offices at Hevard's campaign headquarters.

Guillaud stands accused of having used his unrestricted access to Senator Hevard's office to pass secrets to the Caldari State through an Amarrian intermediary.

In a public statement, Senator Hevard came to the defense of Guillaud, who is currently coordinating the Senator's upcoming campaign for re-election. "This is ridiculous. I've known Weilard Guillaud for nearly twenty years, and he's no spy," said the Senator. Other co-workers had similar opinions.

Said one, "His father was a war veteran, and anyone who thinks Weilard Guillaud is a Caldari agent is clearly mistaken."

Hevard, a vocal opponent of the policies of Souro Foiritan and Mentas Blaque, has even accused the latter of arresting Guillaud on false charges as a way to hinder Hevard's re-election bid. For his part, Blaque calls these ideas "preposterous," adding that "it is the duty of the FIO to pursue threats to national security regardless of how highly they're positioned. Eturrer taught us that."

But Hevard's outcry has joined the voices of a growing number of Gallente politicians who feel that Mentas Blaque's dual roles as Head of the Senate and head of the FIO's new investigative arm concentrates too much power in the hands of one man. Indeed, increasing allegations of FIO harassment of public officials has led to the Special Department of Internal Investigations being re-dubbed the "Blaque Eagles" in Gallente political circles.

The FIO has as yet refused to comment, calling the matter an "ongoing investigation."