Greece urged to dig harder on phone surveillance scandal
A European parliamentary committee investigating the use of spyware in the 27-country bloc has urged Greek officials to do more to shed light on a phone surveillance scandal that targeted opposition politicians and journalists
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A European parliamentary committee investigating the use of spyware in the 27-country bloc urged Greek officials on Friday to do more to shed light on a phone surveillance scandal that targeted opposition politicians and journalists.
“We learnt a lot but we also still feel that a lot of our questions remain to be answered,” committee head Jeroen Lenaers said after a fact-finding visit to Greece and fellow European Union member Cyprus.
And the committee rapporteur, Sophie in ’t Veld, said while no definite proof emerged as to who installed and used Predator spyware on the Greek victims' phones, and why, “everything is pointing in the direction of people in government circles.”
The scandal, which shook Greece's center-right government this year, centered on the EYP secret service's tapping opposition party leader Nikos Androulakis' phone. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was unaware of the operation, which he said was legal — on national security grounds — but wrong. EYP's chief and a close Mitsotakis aide resigned.
