Greek PM condemns phone surveillance of opposition leader

Athens, Aug 9 Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has condemned the phone surveillance of the Leader of the Opposition party carried out by the country's national intelligence service (EYP).

In a statement to the nation, the Prime Minister on Monday said that the surveillance of the PASOK-KINAL party, and member of the European Parliament Nikos Androulakis, was wrong.

Mitsotakis added that if he had been aware of these activities, he would not have allowed them, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Although everything was done lawfully, the National Intelligence Service underestimated the political dimension of that action. It was formally adequate, but politically unacceptable. It should not have happened," he said in a live address transmitted by public broadcaster ERT.

A scandal broke out after Opposition leader Nikos Androulakis filed charges at Greece's Supreme Court 10 days ago, for mobile tapping attempts with spyware. He was notified by the European Parliament.

EYP chief Panagiotis Kontoleon, and the Secretary General of the Prime Minister's office Grigoris Dimitriadis, both resigned on Friday.

The Greek Prime Minister has announced an overhaul of EYP in order to strengthen its accountability, and improve supervision of the parliament through the Institutions and Transparency Committee.

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