Greek PM on alert as EU parliament ‘predator’ mission goes to Athens
Pressure is mounting on the Greek government ahead of the European Parliament’s PEGA mission to Athens on 2 November, in which explanations will be requested regarding the Greek executive’s role in using illegal Predator spyware against journalists and politicians.
Several journalists and opposition politicians have reported that their phones have been bugged with Predator spyware.
All complainants blame the conservative New Democracy government (EPP) for illegal surveillance activities, but the government insists that it has not purchased such spyware.
The government has admitted that it carried out “legal” surveillance activities by the secret services against journalists and politicians but has so far refused to unveil the reasons why by invoking the “national security” argument.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was unaware of such activities despite enacting a law that places him in direct supervision of intelligence. However, his chief of staff and nephew, Grigoris Dimitriadis, and the head of secret services resigned following the revelation of the spyware activities.
The visit comes in light of new revelations regarding the matter, which are expected to put the government to the test.
The journals “To Vima” and “Ta Nea” reported on Sunday that in addition to journalists and opposition politicians, the phone of a former New Democracy minister was also bugged as well as several businessmen.
Particularly, “To Vima” in an investigative report hinted that a “centre” was set up by businessmen and individuals from Greece and Cyprus who orchestrated the Predator activities.
Moreover, the report says the circle of people who participated in the consultations to set up this centre seems “to have been known to Mr Dimitriadis or people from his personal circle”.
The EU parliament’s PEGA committee is visiting Athens on 2 November and will try to shed light on what many describe as “Greek Watergate”.
Opposition media report that the Greek prime minister is making considerable efforts to keep his distance from the scandal, but the new revelations are expected to corner the Greek leadership, which has so far tried to build up a “centrist liberal” profile.
All political groups in the EU House have condemned the scandal except the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), to which New Democracy belongs.
The socialist group has been more vocal, calling for snap elections.
“What is clear for the European progressive family is that Greece needs a political change,” told EURACTIV in an interview in late August Iratxe García, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com, EURACTIV.gr)
