Global articles on espionage, spying, bugs, and other interesting topics.

Separated: Martin Coward and Elena Ambrosiadou founded Ikos, one of Europe’s biggest hedge funds

He alleges that Kroll employees entered his property illegally and left bugsand video cameras in the kitchen and the fireplace of his study.

He claims that they also planted a GPS tracking device in his car.
The court document also alleges that Dr Coward was covertly followed by detectives from another agency who photographed his meetings with people in Monaco and Cyprus.

Dr Coward, regarded as one of the world’s greatest financial mathematicians, is suing his estranged wife for breaching his privacy and his human rights, which guarantee him a right to a private life.

He is also seeking an injunction against Miss Ambrosiadou and Kroll Associates ‘to prevent any further similar activity’.

Greek-born Miss Ambrosiadou, 51, and Dr Coward amassed a £200 million fortune through the hedge fund they jointly founded in 1993. She took a salary of £16 million in 2004 as the chief executive of Ikos, and last year spent £60 million on the Maltese Falcon, the world’s largest private sailing yacht.

Last week The Mail on Sunday revealed how Miss Ambrosiadou hired a glamorous undercover agent called Laura Merts, 37, to spy on her former portfolio manager, Tobin Gover, and to extract ‘confidential and private information about him’.

Mr Gover was among 12 Ikos employees who were mysteriously sacked in 2008 while Dr Coward was on a skiing holiday. Miss Ambrosiadou has agreed to pay Mr Gover ‘substantial’ damages.

After the sackings, Ikos was hit by scandals and setbacks. In late 2009, Dr Coward, who was chief investment officer, resigned, saying he wanted to set up his own hedge fund. The couple also separated shortly afterwards.

The court papers claim that the bugs in Dr Coward’s home ‘recorded a long conversation between the claimant [Dr Coward] and his mother in the study, in which they discussed a number of highly private, confidential and sensitive issues, including issues concerning the claimant’s business plans, investments and tax affairs’.

Dr Coward also claims that his estranged wife hired another agency to spy on his movements between November and December 2009 in Monaco. Dr Coward lives in the principality with his 24-year-old Brazilian girlfriend.

He claims he was also subjected to a more intensive surveillance when in Limassol, Cyprus.

Last night a spokesman for Dr Coward refused to comment.

Miss Ambrosiadou’s lawyers said there has been no finding of wrong-doing against her and she denies any allegations of unlawful conduct.

An Ikos spokesman said: ‘We are not going to debate an ongoing situation through the media. There are a number of outstanding criminal cases to be dealt with.’

Kroll were unavailable for comment.