Greek PM denies involvement in phone tapping scandal

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Athens, (Asian independent) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has denied involvement in a scandal related to the tapping of an opposition leader’s phone by the country’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) over several months.

“What was done, may have been legal, but it was wrong. I knew nothing about it, and obviously I would never have approved anything like this,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Mitsotakis added that if he had been aware of these activities, he would not have allowed them.

Nikos Androulakis, head of the social-democratic opposition PASOK party and a member of the European Parliament, has laid a charge against persons unknown relating to the phone tap.

The investigations have revealed that his mobile phone had for months been tapped by the EYP.

The revelations led to the resignations on August 5 of EYP commander Panagiotis Kontoleon, and Grigoris Dimitriadis, head of Mitsotakis’s secretariat.

The rime Minister has announced an overhaul of the EYP in order to strengthen its accountability, and improve supervision of the parliament through the Institutions and Transparency Committee.