Statement by K. Mitsotakis on Monday regarding the Androulakis case – The turmoil over the wiretapping continues

LAST UPDATE: 16.03

By Niki Zorba

Resignations, admission by the former Commander of the EYP that the Service was monitoring the president of PASOK, complaints and in the background an inquiry committee requested by Nikos Androulakis, make up the picture – so far – of yesterday’s developments which unfolded rapidly, with the vibrations continuing.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, according to government sources, will make a statement on Monday regarding the developments in the PASOK leader’s case and will not wait for the Parliament to restart its work in order to take a position on such an important issue.

PASOK comes back and attacks the government for “deplorable propaganda” and information leaks about “for Armenians, Ukrainians and Chinese” and asks:

* The responsible Ministers, Mr. Kontoleon and the new Governor of the EYP, Mr. Demiris, should come to the Institutions and Transparency Committee next week and tell the whole truth.

* Calling on the Greek Justice to immediately investigate all revelations.

While earlier the Political Secretariat of SYRIZA held an extraordinary meeting Alexis Tsipras will also make a statement in the afternoon at 18.00, as announced by party sources.

The Chronicles

First of all, the sudden resignation of the former Secretary of the Prime Minister Grigoris Dimitriadis. It was pointed out from the beginning by Government sources that it was his personal decision and had nothing to do with the infamous Predator system and the allegations surrounding it. This was followed in a very short period of time by the resignation of the also former Governor of the EYP. This resignation has completely different characteristics, as Mr. Kontoleon, in essence, was “cleared” by the National Intelligence Service, through the method of resignation.

The “leak” that accompanied his dismissal by resignation stated that “legitimate attachments” had been tampered with. In practice, what is charged by Maximos to the former Governor (as the EYP is organically part of the prime minister’s office) is that the president of PASOK was legally monitored (the question remains unanswered by whose order as various scenarios have been circulated about requests from foreign countries, etc. ) but his supervisor G. Dimitriadis had not been informed about this, therefore neither had the prime minister.

Mr. Kontoleon even “failed” to inform the Institutions and Transparency Committee about this, which met last Friday, leaving shadows on the facts even after its end.

Immediately after the appointment of the new Governor of the EYP Mr. Demiris, government sources announced that in the immediate future the president of PASOK/KINAL, Nikos Androulakis, will be called to the National Intelligence Service, in order to be informed about the case of monitoring his phone.

At the same time, according to information from the government officials, Mr. Androulakis’ mobile phone was monitored for three months with the connection, which did not happen when the Predator was interrupted two days after his election as the president of PASOK. According to the government sources, “the process for the links to be legal is not simple. Prosecutorial approval is required for the surveillance, which there apparently was.” According to the same sources, the monitoring in question was not done with the Predator, but with conventional means used by the EYP in corresponding cases.

The investigative committee and the heavy spikes Androulakis

The president of PASOK, however, and while there was secure information – even the admission that his office phone was being monitored – was not positive about the possibility of setting up a commission of inquiry which SYRIZA was considering, with a harsh statement on Friday afternoon, he requested the establishment of a commission of inquiry Commission, with heavy spikes:

“It is unacceptable, in a European democracy, for it to be revealed that apart from the attempt to trap my mobile phone with the Predator in September 2021, after the announcement of my candidacy, today we learn that the EYP, which reports directly to the Prime Minister, proceeded to following me, during the internal election process for the leadership of PASOK” said the president of PASOK in his statement.

“I never expected the Greek Government to follow me with the darkest practices. All this proves that Mr. Mitsotakis and his government are exposing the country internationally. The Hellenic Parliament must proceed immediately to form an inquiry committee to investigate political responsibilities ” added the president of PASOK, igniting the developments.

The Government answered “yes” to his request for a Commission of Inquiry and for the re-convening of the Committee on Institutions and Transparency, hoping – as the Government Spokesman said, “this time Mr. Androulakis will also respond, attend in person, in order to be informed and to get answers for everything related to the legal connection that concerns him, answers that will leave no room for arbitrary conclusions and conspiracy”.

He mediated a failed attempt by Giorgos Gerapetritis to contact Mr. Androulakis. the president of PASOK never picked up the phone. Instead, from Charilaou Trikoupi, it was given as an answer:

“From the first moment, PASOK operated completely institutionally and with respect to the judiciary. Mr. Gerapetritis and Mr. Kontoleon appeared before the Institutions Committee and did not tell the truth”. We call on the Government to inform the Institutions and Transparency Committee immediately without further delay. All in the light”.

Extraordinary meeting under Tsipras in SYRIZA

In the meantime, the Political Secretariat of SYRIZA under Alexis Tsipras held an extraordinary meeting in the morning, as was known since yesterday.

It resulted in two requests, one “yes” and one commitment, the party’s PG concludeds:

Resignation of Mitsotakis, Intervention of the Supreme Court, yes to an inquiry as a self-evident next step but with a simultaneous commitment by SYRIZA to establish a Pre-Inquiry Committee after the elections, as special claims from an inquiry, given that the government has the majority, do not have the official opposition.

Koumoundourou continues to talk about “watergate Mitsotakis” and an unprecedented attempt at institutional diversion. All means of “war” against the government were discussed – and the motion of impeachment of course – without abandoning it as a scenario and “weapon”, for some time later, depending on the developments.