New documentary evidence has been submitted to the Athens court hearing Greece’s high-profile spyware case, commonly known as “Predator-gate,” adding fresh details to the trial examining the illegal surveillance of politicians and journalists.
According to court proceedings, judges requested and received records showing the transaction history of a prepaid card allegedly used to send an infected text message to Nikos Androulakis, leader of the opposition. The head of PASOK s is among the most prominent figures targeted in the surveillance scandal that has shaken Greek politics and raised concerns about rule of law and press freedom.
The records were provided by Greece’s National Bank after a formal request by the court. They show significant activity on the prepaid card between June 2020 and December 2021. The card’s original holder, Emilios Kosmidis, has claimed he lost it, a claim now being scrutinized in light of the documented transactions.
Extensive material submitted by victims’ lawyers
At the same hearing, the lawyer representing investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis, who was among the first confirmed surveillance victims, submitted a large body of material for the court’s evaluation. The submission included 64 separate folders of documents, ranging from investigative findings to media reports that helped uncover the spyware operation.
Among the materials were published investigations from major Greek newspapers that played a key role in revealing the use of Predator spyware in Greece. According to Koukakis’ lawyer, the documents collectively trace how the spyware was first uncovered and how the surveillance of specific individuals began.
Additional evidence focused on the relationships between the companies under investigation and the alleged responsibilities of the four defendants currently on trial. These defendants are representatives of firms accused of marketing, distributing, and facilitating the use of the Predator mobile phone surveillance software.
Messages raise questions about coordination
The court also heard verbatim references to private messages exchanged between one of the defendants, Yannis Lavranos, and Stamatios Trimbalis, who has been presented as the legal representative of one of the companies involved.
According to testimony cited in court, the messages suggest that Lavranos received guidance on how to respond during the parliamentary inquiry that investigated the wiretapping scandal, as well as advice related to a police search of his home. Lavranos himself acknowledged this guidance while testifying.
Background to the case
The trial involves four defendants, two of whom are foreign nationals, and focuses on alleged violations of the privacy of communications during the 2020–2021 period. The companies the defendants represent have been accused of marketing, distributing, and facilitating the use of the notorious “Predator” mobile phone surveillance software to allegedly eavesdrop on Greek citizens, including politicians, journalists and military officers, among others.
Proceedings were supposed to begin in March 2025 but were suspended to allow official court documents to be translated into English for the non-Greek defendants. The case has since resumed.
