Greek Cabinet ministers, pro-government journalists, businessmen among those spied on, claims local media

By Anadolu Agency Staff

ANKARA (AA) – In Greece’s growing surveillance scandal, acting Cabinet ministers, pro-government journalists, and businesspeople are among those spied on as ordered by the highest levels in Athens, said local media on Monday.

The surveillance operation was carried out on direct orders by Grigoris Dimitriadis, the nephew of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his then-secretary-general, claimed news outlet Documento. Dimitriadis stepped down when the scandal first emerged.

Surprisingly, it said, the first wave of the spying by Israeli-made Predator spyware targeted not opposition figures, but prominent members of the government bloc led by the Nea Dimokratia (ND) party.

The spying targets reportedly included such top figures as Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, Deputy Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias, Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Labor Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, former Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, and former National Security Advisor Alexandros Diakopoulos, it said.

The reasons for the surveillance of these figures differed, it added.

For example, while Dendias and Samaras were spied on due to their strong positions and perceived tendency to weaken Mitsotakis’ rule in the party, Georgiadis was spied on after a complaint by some businesspeople close to the prime minister, the outlet explained.

Alexis Papahelas, executive editor of pro-government daily Kathimerini, and prominent media group bosses Panos Kyriakopoulos and Panagiotis Bomis were also reportedly under surveillance.

Apart from Nikos Androulakis, leader of the opposition PASOK-KINAL party, Olga Gerovassili, head of the main opposition SYRIZA-PS’s parliamentary group and close associate of former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, was spied on too, it added.

In a statement on the allegations, Tsipras called on Mitsotakis to come to parliament to give “honest and direct answers.”

This is a must to restore public confidence in the state and democracy as Greece faces an institutional crisis due to Mitsotakis’ actions, he said.

Earlier, government spokesman Yiannis Economou dismissed the revelations as “baseless.”

The scandal is already being investigated by state authorities and courts, he said, adding that the new allegations are not supported by evidence.

Urging a calm stance on the scandal, Economou said it should not be used for political fodder.

- Surveillance scandal

On Aug. 8, Mitsotakis acknowledged that Androulakis was wiretapped by the intel agency but denied knowledge of the operation.

The scandal first emerged on Aug. 4 when Panagiotis Kontoleon, then-head of the EYP intel agency, told a parliamentary committee that EYP had been spying on financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis. The say after giving that testimony, Kontoleon resigned.

A parliamentary probe was launched after Androulakis complained to top prosecutors about an attempt to hack his mobile phone with Predator spyware.

Opposition parties blame Mitsotakis for the scandal and have called for his government to hold snap elections, something he rejects.

The European Commission and European Parliament are closely monitoring developments related to the scandal.