A high-profile trial revolving around the explosive spyware case, where four defendants face misdemeanor charges, has been suspended for an indefinite period, according to reports.
The trial in Athens began on March 5 and after repeated continuances granted by the court it was suspended – but not permanently – on Monday.
The reason cited was that the translation of critical evidence into English was not completed, something requested by the defense teams and accepted by the court.
Two of the four defendants in the case are foreign nationals who do not speak Greek. Their attorneys requested that the criminal indictment from which misdemeanor charges were filed against them be translated into English, so they can be informed of the nature and cause of the accusations against them.
Previously, the court appointed four translators to render the documents from Greek to English, before witnesses for and against the defense took the stand. In fact, the first witness set to testify was PASOK president Nikos Androulakis, who was expected to weigh in against the defendants.
The eavesdropping on Androulakis, a local journalist and possibly others by the intelligence service and others via the alleged use of spyware is known as the wiretapping scandal in Greece.
The latter has charged that besides the legal approval issued by a relevant prosecutor allowing the national intelligence service to monitor his cell phone – in a period before he challenged for the political party’s leadership – he also fell victim to the notorious spyware “Predator”.
During Monday’s proceedings, a document submitted by the prosecution said two translators had been sworn in and taken up their duties, while the other two had declined the appointment. As such, the estimated time for completing a translation of the indictment was three months.
The bench prosecutor subsequently recommended to the first instance court justices that the trial be suspended and not merely adjourned.
That recommendation was opposed by the lawyers representing individuals who claimed they were the targets of the spyware.
Upon the completion of a full translation of the indictment and related documents, the court decision stated that the trial will be rescheduled with a new composition of justices.
