Renew Europe MEP Giorgos Kyrtsos and investigative journalist Tasos Teloglou are the latest victims of the ‘Greek Watergate’, a wiretapping scandal that has been shaking Athens for months.
Sources close to the matter told EURACTIV that a team of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) visited on Thursday (15 December) telecommunication’s company Cosmote.
ADAE, an independent authority whose function is provided in the Greek constitution, wanted to carry out an audit following requests submitted to the authority by MEP Kyrtsos and Teloglou who wanted to find out whether they were under surveillance by the secret services.
EURACTIV has learnt that the audit confirmed that both men were under surveillance by secret services, but the reasons were not disclosed citing ‘national security’.
Meanwhile, the independent authority faced difficulties in carrying out the audit control.
Greece’s Prosecutor of the Supreme Court allegedly attempted to block the control saying it was illegal, EURACTIV has learnt.
Several sources confirmed that the company’s legal advisor, after consultation with the managing director, attempted to stop the audit by questioning the authority’s competence.
The representatives of ADAE reacted by invoking their constitutional authority and insisted on the audit.
Moreover, the company informed them that it will contact the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Isidoros Dogiakos, for instructions. ADAE representatives were then informed that the procedure was illegal.
The company, the same sources said, requested a written opinion by the prosecutor which he allegedly denied.
Despite calls to put an end to the audit, ADAE representatives insisted, saying they were independent from the judiciary, and continued carrying out the audit control.
[Edited by Benjamin Fox]
Source: euractiv.com
