A minister of the Mitsotakis government admitted that he had been put under surveillance through the illegal spyware Predator.
Greece’s Minister of State of the ruling conservative New Democracy party, Makis Voridis, on Monday admitted that he had been put under surveillance through the illegal spyware Predator.
Voridis, speaking on the Greek private TV channel ANT1, said the Hellenic Data Protection Authority had informed him that, after it investigated, it emerged that he had been put under surveillance by Predator.
The media outlet Documento had revealed that the data authority had informed three members of PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government – among them Voridis – that they were put under surveillance by Predator, along with two other persons.
“I received a letter from the Hellenic Data Protection Authority,” said Voridis. Answering the journalists’ question about whether he would take legal action, he said: “I have nothing to do.”
“A lawsuit would only make things even more complicated in the case file. I have nothing to contribute to this,” he said.
The wiretapping scandal, which has occupied the Greek media since the spring of 2022, concerns the use of Predator by the Greek secret services, EYP, to monitor or attempt to monitor journalists, politicians, and other public figures.
The Brussels edition of Politico in a Monday report states that a proposal by the president of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy, ADAE, Christos Rammos, to fine the EYP 100,00 euros for concealing critical information in the wiretapping case was blocked.
According to the Politico report, shortly before midnight on September 28, the government Gazette published the appointment of new members of the ADAE. According to the media, this was done to prevent its Board of Directors from imposing a fine of 100,000 euros on the EYP.
BIRN contacted the office of the government spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakis. It insisted that the procedure was in accordance with Greek law: “The term of office of the members of ADAE had expired a year ago, and the procedure to replace the members was carried out as stipulated by the constitution”.
Source : Balkaninsight
