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Wiretapping scandal in Greece: Prime Minister Mitsotaqis in the most difficult days of his career

2022-08-11 18:38:53Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA FLORIAN SCHMITZ
Wiretapping scandal in Greece: Prime Minister Mitsotaqis in the most difficult
Wiretapping scandal in Greece

The Greek secret service has intercepted a journalist and an opposition politician. The scandal could cause a serious crisis for Prime Minister Mitsotaqis.

The Greek Prime Minister is experiencing the most difficult days of his tenure so far. It is true that crises have not been absent after the 2019 elections, but this current one is about a wiretapping scandal and could turn into a serious crisis for Qiriakos Mitsotakis. The affair was discovered by Greek investigative journalists.

Months ago, it became known that financial affairs reporter Thanasis Koukaqis was wiretapped. The presence of the interception program, called Predator, was identified on his mobile phone. Last week it emerged that the journalist was being watched by the Greek secret service. And not only with him, but also with Nikos Androulaqis, the leader of the social democrats PASOK, the third largest party in the country and a member of the European Parliament, it was noticed that attempts had been made to install the Predator program on his cell phone. The European politician did not click on the link that would have activated the software, but informed the cyber security service of the EU Parliament.

Androulaqis demanded answers from the Greek government. That's how he learned that his phone was intercepted for some time by the secret service, during the period when he ran for party chairman. The daily "Kathimerini" wrote that according to the head of the Greek secret service Panayotis Kontoleon, the Ukrainian and Armenian secret services had requested the surveillance. The ambassadors of both countries rejected this claim by giving written statements.

Resignation in Athens

On Friday (5.08.2022), two famous people from Mitsotakis' inner circle resigned: Grigoris Dimitriadis, Mitsotakis' chief of office and his right-hand man, resigned first. At the same time, his grandson. A little later, even the head of the secret service, Kontoleon, resigned. Both emphasized that the prime minister had not been informed about the observations. But, after winning the elections in 2019, Mitsotaqis took over the powers of the secret service. However, the government refused to have anything to do with the placement of the predators and the wiretapping scandals.

Meanwhile, Grigoris Dimitriadisi has opened a lawsuit against the journalistic network Reporters United, which had informed about the connection between the former chief of Mitsotakis's office and the firm Intellexa. This Israeli firm sells the spying program, Predator, in Greece.

Wiretapping scandal in Greece: Prime Minister Mitsotaqis in the most difficult

Mitsotaqisi emphasizes the importance of the secret service

On Monday (8.08.2022) at 14:00, the prime minister spoke for the first time: "We do not tolerate shadows in our democracy," he said at the beginning of the statement given by video and broadcast by the state television ERT. "This should not have happened", admitted the prime minister, speaking only about the wiretapping of the politician Androulakis, but not about the wiretapping of the journalist Koukakis.

The prime minister did not want to take personal responsibility for the wiretapping scandals, but mentioned the resignations of the head of the secret service and the "chief of the prime minister's office". He skillfully avoided the wording for the head of "my" office: "I knew nothing about this and I would not have allowed such a thing," said the Greek Prime Minister.

Mitsotaqisi emphasized the important role of the secret services, which should be better controlled in the future, based on a four-point plan. This institution faces "great challenges in the Aegean and Euros", he said, considering the conflicts with Turkey.

After the end of the Prime Minister's statement, the state television, controlled by the Prime Minister, switched the broadcast to a gas station, where a satisfied customer announced to the cameras that after many months the price of gasoline fell below the limit of two euros.

No word on the Predator

Journalist Eliza Triantafillou has played an important role in uncovering the scandal. She criticizes the prime minister for not mentioning his colleague Thanasis Koukakis in his speech: "I think we all agree that it is very disturbing when journalists are checked and eavesdropped on a democratic country," she told Deutsche Wellen.

Even the fact that Mitsotaqisi did not mention the Predator spying program is not a good sign: "Intellexa has opened an office in Athens since 2020. It would be reassuring for both journalists and citizens if there is political will to find out who uses this expensive and powerful software against certain targets in Greece.”

Wiretapping scandal in Greece: Prime Minister Mitsotaqis in the most difficult
Journalist Thanasis Koukakis was tapped

Triantafillou criticizes the fact that so far no thorough investigations have been carried out, although there have been many indications that Koukakis and Androulakis were not the only people affected by the wiretapping. "Unfortunately, the National Transparency Office has not used the precious time. She visited Intellexa's offices as part of an announced visit, in the presence of lawyers and the firm's tax consultant". The journalist asks what would have been discovered if the offices had been searched without being notified beforehand and if the search had been done on grounds.

Criticism from foreign organizations

For a long time, international organizations have been observing with great concern the developments of press freedom in Greece. In the press freedom index of the Reporters Without Borders organization, Greece dropped 38 points and moved to 108th place in the ranking of 180 countries, being among the last European countries.

Wiretapping scandal in Greece: Prime Minister Mitsotaqis in the most difficult
Journalist Eliza Triantafillou

Jamie Wiseman, referent at the International Press Institute (IPI), criticizes the way Athens handled the current scandal: "We are very sorry that in his statement the Prime Minister did not mention the interception of Thanasis Koukakis. This is one of the most serious cases of wiretapping of a journalist in the EU in recent years. This case is characterized by a lack of transparency and avoidance of responsibility."

Wiseman urges Brussels to exert more pressure on the Predator spying program: "It is of the utmost importance that the EU Parliament's investigative committee demands an immediate response from the Greek government, the Greek Prime Minister and the secret service. In addition, guidelines for greater control within the EU in defense against cyber surveillance systems must be formulated urgently.

Meanwhile, the Greek Parliament will deal with the wiretapping scandal on August 22./ DW

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