Nikos Androulakis, the PASOK leader whose phone was bugged by the country’s intelligence service, has accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of having “methodically avoided providing explanations” in a bid to play for time in his televised address about the wiretapping scandal.
Androulakis, who has been a member of European Parliament since 2014 and who was elected PASOK leader in December 2021, said on Friday that he had learned EYP listened to his conversations in late 2021.
In a statement issued after the prime minister’s address on Monday, Androulakis said that the prime minister had “methodically avoided providing explanations about the deep-state branch set up” in the National Intelligence Service (EYP) according to AMNA.
“The Predator spyware was used to tap into my phone, while only a few days earlier I had been placed under surveillance by EYP,” Androulakis stated, adding that “we would not have been aware of these dark practices had it not been for the European Parliament’s official report.”
The opposition leader whose phone was bugged by the country’s intelligence service has “persistently refused” to learn why his device was legally monitored, government spokesman Giannis Economou said on Monday.
“From the first moment that the prime minister was informed about the legal monitoring of Mr Androulakis’ phone, the government sought to inform the PASOK leader but he has persistently refused,” the government spokesman said, referring to Nikos Androulakis.
Androulakis, a member of European Parliament since 2014 who was elected PASOK leader in December 2021, said on Friday he had learned EYP listened to his conversations in late 2021.
“Apart from the investigative committee and Parliament’s Institutions and Transparency Committee, which will also deal with the issue, Mr Androulakis can always address and receive answers, in the proper institutional manner, from the competent authorities. He has persistently rejected that option as well,” Oikonomou added.
“The monitoring of Mr Androulakis’ phone is something that should not have happened politically, but its legality is not in doubt. If Mr Androulakis and all those who pretend to doubt the legality wish to confirm that, all they need to do is refer to Law 2225/1994. There they will find everything about the legal surveillance for national security reasons that exclude no one from their scope.
He added that the Greek government has not procured and no security agency in Greece is using Predator or other malicious software.
He said Androulakis was showing “remarkable persistence” in “denying this reality.”