PROBERS RELEASE TRANSCRIPT BEARING ON OTTO OTEPKA CASE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040150-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 150
• Publication Date: July 19, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

uf,5U.NGTON ST,ci
JUL 1.9 1965
Sanitized - Approved For Release: Cl
CPYRGHT
CPYRGHT
rrobers Re~ease Transcript
Bearipg On Otto Otepka
By CECII, HOLLAND
51nr ',Intl wrlirr
personally tonic it up with
Hobert F. Kennedy, then the
attorney general, in 1964. Ken-
nedy indicated then, the testi-
nnony showed, that he saw no
reason to reopen the case.
5. Otcpka flatly contradicted
the testimony of John F. Reilly,
former head of the depart-
ment's office of security, that
Otepka asked to be taken out of
the Wieland case because of his
testimony in the Senate hearing.
Otcpka testified, the transcript
reveals, that Reilly brought up
the question and that when
Otepka. was relieved of his
duties as chief of the evaluation
section, he was effectively taken
out of the case.
Headed Cnban Desk
The Wieland case goes back
to the Eisenhower adm,inist.ra
lion Sand questions raised of that
time on Castro's Communist
affiliation. Wieland was then
head of the State Department's
Cuban desk.
III a 1962 report, the subcom-
mittee said a great quantity of
intelligence on Castro's Com-
munist connections earome to his
desk, and then added:
"The committee was unable
to document a single instance in
which Mr. Wieland passed any
of this material lip to his supe-
riors or mentioned it as credible
In any report or policy paper."
The transcript revealed that
subcommittee members repeat-
edly questioned State Depart-
ment witnesses on what was
described as the unusual course
of the Wieland investigation and 1
how It was finally resolved. It
did not reveal who finally
ordered the Wieland clearance
reaffirmed.
The Justice Department,' the.
transcript revealed, found,
insufficient grounds for a perju?1
ry case growing out of Wie-,
land's testimony regarding ails
failure to disclose on his appli-
cation that he had been known
as Montenegro.
Otepka has remained on the
State, Department payroll
pending the hearing, but has,
been given. only routine assigns'
; ; h
ments,' '
.PGIAb3b
Sanitized - Approve For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040150-9
ena c eves tga ors hay
released transcript of close
hearings on Slate Dcpartmen
security practices which ar,
expected to be a factor in ti
department's efforts to fire Ott
F. Otepka, one of its top secur
AT officers.
The testimony, going back I
1963, deals with the controve
sisal case of William A. Wielanc ,
Lntin-American expert in th
department, in connection wit
Fidel Castro's rise to power I.
Cuba.
The transcript is one of seve
the Senate Internal Securit
subconnmittee plans to relea
ibeav'ing on the Otepka case.
Otepka, once the department
chief security evaluator, w
ordered dismissed for disclosin
classified information. to t.h
Senate investigators. A dopar
mental hearing, deferred seve
al times pending release of th
tanscripts, Is now schedulell
for mid-September.
Given Renewed Clearance
Highlights of tile testimol,
included:
1. Wieland received renewe
clearance last year despite t
adverse evaluations, with th
second raising the question
security.
2. Otopka accused Wieland o
giving false testimony in sayin
he saw Castro only once on th
Cuban leader's 11)58 visit 1
Washington. According t
inform a lion he obtained, Otopk
testified, It was at least si
times.
3. Wieland failed to disclos
on his personnel form that I'
Once went by the name o
Montenegro.
4. The Wieland ease was twice
referred to the..Iustice Depart-
ment fqr rulings and, in one,
Secretary of State Dean husk