Article authors:
Reuters
George Georgiopoulos and Renee Maltezou
Athens — Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsutakis notices that the phone of PASOK leader Nicos Andrew Rakis has been tapped on Monday. I repeated what I wasn't doing. In 2021, we are moving away from the growing political scandal.
The incident that happened last week caused turmoil, and opposition parties demanded a thorough investigation and labeled Mitsutakis' personal Watergate scandal.
The prime minister, who will be in the election next year, apologized to Andrew Rakis on Saturday that he had no knowledge of intelligence taps and did not approve.
On Monday, Mitsutakis added in his speech to his country: "What happened might have been legal, but it was a mistake. I didn't know, and obviously I never forgave it."
He Andrew Rakis He said he only learned about eavesdropping "a few days ago" and announced measures to strengthen the control of EYP intelligence operations and increase the transparency of their practices.
He said EYP intelligence was in compliance with the law but underestimated the political aspects of "politically unacceptable" surveillance.
Mr Andrew Rakis, a member of the European Parliament since 2014, who was elected leader of the PASOK party in December 2021, said on Friday that he learned that EYP had heard his conversation in late 2021.
{Andru Rakis responded to what Mitsutakis called "the story of a legitimate mistake," and the Prime Minister tried to make time in a television speech on Monday, but soon. Said that he had to face the truth."I don't accept concealment, the clock is ticking towards him," Andrewakis said in a statement, and Mitsutakis would downgrade the case involving the separation of powers in Greece. He added.
PASOK is Greece's third-largest political party and has been a major political rival of the New Democracy, the Conservative Party of Mitsutakis, for decades.
Last week, EYP head Panagiotis Kontoleon and Prime Minister Grigoris Dimitriadis resigned unexpectedly in the case.
The left-wing Syriza coalition, a major political opponent, said it was unable to answer burning questions, including why Mitsutakis was seen as a national security threat and was tapped. Stated.
Mitsutakis said the case highlighted the need for additional security filters in intelligence and proposed increased oversight of espionage services by parliamentary committees on institutional and transparency. rice field. (Report by George Georgepoulos and Renee Maltezou, edited by John Stonestreet and Hugh Lawson)
