Eleven surveillance requests submitted by Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP), signed by current Supreme Court top prosecutor Konstantinos Tzavellas, coincided with the attempted hacking of cellphones using the illegal spyware Predator during the roughly one-year period — up to November 2020 — when the latter supervised the agency, according to a report on Saturday by in.gr.
The report also includes Tzavellas’ confidential testimony before Parliament’s committee on institutions and transparency in September 2022, in which he invoked a “duty of confidentiality” and declined to answer questions about the wiretapping furor.
High court prosecutor Konstantinos Tzavellas
Among those whose surveillance he authorized were senior political and public figures, including current Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, top PM aide Giorgos Mylonakis and journalist Thanasis Koukakis.
According to the report, Koukakis’ surveillance was terminated on Aug. 12, 2020, the same day he contacted the independent Authority for Communication Security and Privacy to inquire whether his mobile phone had been monitored. Another date — June 1, 2020 — also appears on multiple surveillance orders, including those concerning prosecutor Christos Bardakis, Mylonakis and Koukakis.
The list of 11 individuals also includes Tina Messaropoulou, Mylonakis’ journalist wife, Yiannis Olympios, Thomas Varvitsiotis, Konstantinos Mousouroulis, Manolis Grafakos, Argyro Xagorari and Nikolaos Sigalas — all of whom were reportedly also targeted by the Predator spyware.
In his testimony, Tzavellas reportedly said he had full knowledge of the reasons behind each surveillance order he signed, citing his role overseeing counter-terrorism investigations.
“For every order lifting confidentiality for reasons of national security, crime investigation or terrorism, I always had supervision of the grounds and direct communication with the responsible officers,” he said, according to the report, adding that he knew “from the inside” why each interception was deemed necessary.
Greece’s wiretapping scandal has centered on allegations that both legal surveillance mechanisms and illegal spyware such as Predator were used to monitor politicians, journalists, top military brass and officials, raising concerns over institutional oversight and safeguards. The case has also highlighted the political fallout and calls for greater transparency and accountability in the use of surveillance powers.
