WASHINGTON -- The CIA said Monday it 'categorically denies' allegations that it was involved in illegal activities of two former employees accused of training Libyan terrorists.
The intelligence agency issued a statement in response to reports regarding the activities of fugitive ex-agents Edwin Wilson and Frank Terpil.
In an interview with CBS' 'Sixty Minutes' aired Sunday night, Terpil said he paid off U.S. officials to learn of military purchases planned by American allies, and then sold the information to private companies.
He said some CIA agents were currently supplying 'situation reports' with classified information about nations to commercial firms, and the firms in turn sold the reports to officials of other nations and the CIA operatives got 'part of the money.'
The CIA statement said: 'The CIA categorically denies all allegations involving it in illegal acts allegedly committed by former employees Edwin Wilson and Frank Terpil and their associates.
'In 1976, when information was first received that former agency employee Edwin Wilson had engaged in alleged illegal activities, the then director of Central Intelligence conducted an extensive investigation of all known contacts with Wilson subsequent to his resignation in 1971.
'The investigation did not establish any official involvement by the CIA. Some employees were found to have provided support to Wilson and Terpil without official agency sanction and action was taken against them.'
The agency said 'all allegations of criminal complicity have been referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. attorney's office' and that it is cooperating 'fully' with the House Intelligence Committee's investigation of the matter.
'The agency has continued to look into all new allegations of misconduct on the part of current and past employees and thus far has found none,' it said.
Terpil, interviewed by CBS in Beirut, Lebanon, was indicted with Wilson on charges of illegally shipping explosives to Libya and establishing a terror training school for Col. Moammar Khaddafy, the Libyan leader.
Wilson is living in Libya, running an 'import-export' business.
