Greek Intelligence Scandal: Allegations Denied by Former EYP Chief Over Illegal Phone Malware Usage

Former head of Greece's EYP intelligence service, Panagiotis Kontoleon, denies accusations that his agency used illegal malware to spy on targets between 2019-2022. These allegations emerged in 2022 from opposition leaders and journalists, leading to investigations and resignations within the government. Kontoleon maintains that all surveillance was legally authorized.

Former head of Greece's EYP intelligence service, Panagiotis Kontoleon, has categorically denied allegations that the state agency employed illegal phone malware to conduct surveillance between 2019 and 2022, as revealed by court documents.

The scandal broke in 2022 when opposition leader Nikos Androulakis and journalist Thanasis Koukakis accused the state of spying on them using phone malware. These claims spurred judicial investigations and led to the resignations of Kontoleon and Grigoris Dimitriadis, the general secretary to the prime minister.

Evidence presented by Koukakis indicated his phone was infected by Predator spyware, developed by Cytrox and associated with the Intellexa consortium. Although traces of Predator were found in numerous phones, including those of politicians and businessmen, Kontoleon maintains that all surveillance operations during his tenure were properly authorized and that neither the prime minister nor other top officials were informed of specific operational details.

(With inputs from agencies.)