The man who allegedly attempted to bribe a judge of the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece (Areios Pagos) was recently arrested and now faces charges of attempted bribery.

According to To Vima, the individual has been identified as Christos Mavrikis, a central figure in the high-profile 1993 wiretapping case. Reportedly, Mavrikis personally visited the judge’s office and delivered a letter urging the judge to influence the outcome of a case being heard at the Athens Court of First Instance.

The letter allegedly referenced the case by its code number and stated that Mavrikis stood to receive a €1 million commission if a favorable ruling was secured. The mention of such a large sum was widely interpreted as a clear attempt to bribe the judge.

However, the judge—one of the sitting Areopagites, or justices of the Supreme Court—reported the incident to the authorities. The letter was submitted as evidence, leading to Mavrikis’s arrest. Prosecutorial proceedings are now underway.

 Mavrikis is now under criminal investigation for attempting to unduly influence the judiciary.

Christos Mavrikis first came to public attention in April 1993 for his role in a major wiretapping scandal involving former Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis- Mavrikis, an employee of Greece’s state telecom company OTE, claimed he had been instructed by General Nikos Gryllakis—an associate of Mitsotakis—to tap opponent and then Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou’s office phone line. The surveillance allegedly allowed Mitsotakis to listen in on calls from his home.

Mavrikis stated that the wiretapping system, installed in a junction box near the PASOK party offices, enabled 24-hour surveillance of over 100 PASOK officials, capturing both political and personal conversations. At the time, media labeled him a “national pest” for his involvement in what was considered one of the biggest scandals of the post-junta era.

He was later convicted by the Five-Member Court of Appeals of Athens for attempted extortion and unlawful surveillance and served a five-year sentence in Korydallos Prison.

In August 2022, Christos Mavrikis was arrested after allegedly threatening a citizen with a gun during a dispute at a gas station in Pikermi, EFSYN reported. Police later found weapons and drugs in his possession and home. He faced misdemeanor charges and was released the next day.

According to Documento, Mavrikis is currently allegedly involved in a case concerning the legalization of a 100-acre plot in the Papagos area, where he is reportedly “acting on behalf of a third party”.