Quito, Feb 11 (IANS) An investigation has been launched to find the hacker who broke into the website of Ecuador’s presidential office while it was undergoing maintenance, senior officials have said.

“Unscrupulous persons managed to enter the website and leave messages that had nothing to do with the national government,” said Carlos Medina, a member of the presidential communications office, Spain’s EFE news agency reported Monday.

The unidentified hacker entered the presidential website Saturday.

“We are currently conducting the necessary investigations to find out who was responsible,” Medina said.

According to media reports, the message left by the hacker on the presidential website expressed support for Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa and condemned corruption on the part of Jaime Nebot, the best-known opposition leader and mayor of Guayaquil, the largest and most populous city in the country.

However, the authorities quickly clarified that the message which appeared on the website did not represent the views of the government.