Sources: US to question Assange pal jailed in Ecuador

BOGOTA – U.S. investigators have received permission from Ecuador to question a Swedish programmer close to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who has been held in jail for more than two months on suspicion of hacking.

An Ecuadorian prosecutor’s order provided to The Associated Press indicates the interview with Ola Bini is set for June 27.

Spokespeople at the U.S. Justice Department declined to comment, but a person familiar with the case in the United States confirmed that U.S. authorities want to hear from Bini, who was arrested the same day that Ecuador evicted Assange from its embassy in London.

The request to interview Bini suggests for the first time that the Swedish programmer is a potential witness in U.S. investigations into Assange and WikiLeaks.