The wiretapping case had a “happy ending” for the National Security Service and the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, since the Supreme Court announced that it will only prosecute four private persons for misdemeanours. Here are all the steps that the investigation failed to take.
by Eliza Triantafillou / Tasos Telloglou
Part 2 - In the beginning was the Prosecutor's Office
The investigation of the case by the Public Prosecutor's Office began ex officio in April 2022, immediately after the first publications by inside story about the illegal wiretapping of journalist Thanasis Koukakis' mobile phone. However, the procedure did not move quickly –not necessarily due to the prosecutors who were assigned to the case– thus allowing for precious time to pass in favour of those involved and of course in favour of the government, which from the first moment wished to downplay the case that harmed its image.
Regardless of who is to blame –the reluctance of prosecutors or, according to inside story sources, the reluctance of the police to investigate the actions of their colleagues in the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and acquaintances at the highest levels of the Hellenic Police and the government– the bottom line is this:
In November 2022, after a long delay, the Prosecutor's Office asks the Financial Police to conduct an investigation at the headquarters/residence of legal and natural persons related to the case, such as Intellexa, Krikel, Yannis Lavranos, Felix Bitzios and the then director of the Prime Minister's office and nephew of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Grigoris Dimitriadis. A few days later, the Prosecutor's Office makes a second request, addressed to the Electronic Crime Directorate, asking for the establishment of a joint team with the Financial Police to conduct these investigations; but this time, the residence of Gregory Dimitriadis is missing from the list.
In November 2022, after a long delay, the Prosecutor's Office asks the Financial Police to conduct an investigation at the headquarters/residence of legal and natural persons related to the case, such as Intellexa, Krikel, Yannis Lavranos, Felix Bitzios and the then director of the Prime Minister's office and nephew of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Grigoris Dimitriadis. A few days later, the Prosecutor's Office makes a second request, addressed to the Electronic Crime Directorate, asking for the establishment of a joint team with the Financial Police to conduct these investigations; but this time, the residence of Gregory Dimitriadis is missing from the list.
In the confidential finding delivered in June 2023 to the two Prosecutors of the Court of First Instance, the Data Protection Authority (DPA) writes that "at this stage, the Authority does not have any data from which it is possible to identify a specific controller (natural or legal person) for the activities of installation and use of the spyware under investigation. Therefore, further examination of the case is required".
However, neither the Prosecutors of the First Instance, nor subsequently the Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Achilleas Zisis, showed any inclination to examine all the evidence identified in the 96-page conclusion of the DPA.
However, neither the Prosecutors of the First Instance, nor subsequently the Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Achilleas Zisis, showed any inclination to examine all the evidence identified in the 96-page conclusion of the DPA.
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