Wiretapping scandal: Greek premier aide says Russia destabilizing country

By Anadolu Agency staff

ANKARA (AA) – A senior aide to the Greek prime minister did not rule out the Russian factor as the wiretapping scandal continues to shake the country’s political scene, local newspaper Avgi reported on Thursday.

According to the report citing Financial Times, a person close to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis maintained that the scandal is linked to the Greek opposition to Russia's war on Ukraine.

“It cannot be a mere coincidence that in the past few months we have seen attempts to destabilize a series of European countries  . . .  through direct and indirect ways,” the premier's aide was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Iratxe Garcia, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, remarked that Greece needs a political change after the scandal.

“According to the latest developments, it seems quite clear that Prime Minister Mitsotakis owes strong and clear explanations to Greek citizens and parties on his knowledge and responsibility on this scandal,” she told Euractiv news outlet.

Yanis Varufakis, former finance minister of Greece and the leader of the MeRA25 opposition party, meanwhile, asked watchdog Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy if he is also under surveillance, a day after the country's new spy chief, said "no one is exempt.”

A Greek parliamentary committee approved on Wednesday the appointment of diplomat Themistoklis Demiris to head the country's intelligence service after his predecessor's sacking over the spyware scandal. Grigoris Dimitriadis, a top aide to Mitsotakis, was also forced to resign.

The crisis erupted as a parliamentary probe was launched after opposition leader Nikos Androulakis complained to prosecutors about an attempt to hack his cellphone with Israeli-made Predator tracking software.

Former spy chief Panagiotis Kontoleon admitted before the investigating committee that the intelligence service was spying on Thanasis Koukakis, a journalist working for CNN Greece.

Mitsotakis acknowledged that the agency also wiretapped Androulakis, but denied having any information about the illegal surveillance.