Greek President calls for probe into wiretapping of opposition leader

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Greek President calls for probe into wiretapping of opposition leader

Greece's President Katerina Sakellaropoulou speaks during a press conference at Belem Palace in Lisbon on March 28, 2022. CARLOS COSTA AFP ATHENS Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou called for an investigation into the tapping of a political leader's phone by the intelligence service EYP. The scandal broke last week amid growing concern in the EU about the use of spyware software and the revelations of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' personal Watergate.

Sakellaropoulou said in a statement that the right to privacy is a fundamental condition of a democratic and liberal society and that respect for democracy transcends politics.

She said it needed to get a full explanation of the wiretapping case.

Nikos Androulakis, the leader of Greece's Socialist PASOK party and member of the European Parliament, said on Friday he had learned that EYP was listening to his conversations last year.

The chief of staff of EYP was sacked earlier in the day, as was Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

A government spokesman said EYP had tapped Androulakis' phone but that the surveillance, approved by a prosecutor, was lawful and the prime minister was informed about it last week.

The government hasn't said why Androulakis' phone was hacked.

In a public address on Monday, Mitsotakis said that if he knew he would never allow it, PASOK is Greece's third largest political party and was the main political rival of Mitsotakis's conservative party, New Democracy.

This file photo shows Greece's prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis standing outside Maximos Mansion in Athens on May 6, 2022. THANASSIS STAVRAKIS AP The government has said it will back a request by the opposition for a parliamentary investigation committee on the issue.

The European Commission is also monitoring the case. Cypriot MEP George Georgiou, Vice-chair of the EU's PEGA committee on malware surveillance software, has sent a letter to the committee proposing a mission to Greece to investigate the allegations.

READ MORE: Greek top prosecutor to look into the surveillance of opposition leader.